. 


sec 

21  Co 


SEKMONS 


BY  THE 


Logical  s^7 


REV.  H.  GRATTAN  GUINNESS. 


NEW  YORK : 

ROBERT  CARTER  AND  BROTHERS, 

No.  530    BROADWAY. 


I860. 


CONTENTS. 


SERMON"  I. 

CHRISTIAN  CHARITY.  PAO» 

1  Cor.  xiii. — "Though  I  speak  with  the  tongues  of  men  and  of  angels, 
and  have  not  charity,  I  am  become  as  sounding  brass,  or  a  tinkling 
cymbal,"  &c. 1 

SERMON  II. 

Christ's  measureless  love. 

Ephes.  iii.  19. — "  And  to  know  the  love  of  Christ,  which  passeth  know- 
ledge,"     24 

SERMON  III. 

THE  THREE  CROSSES. 
Luke  xxiii.  39-43. — "And  one  of  the  malefactors  which  were  hanged 

railed  on  him,  saying,  If  thou  be  Christ,  save  thyself  and  us,"  &C,  42 

SERMON  IV. 

THE  LORD  OUR  SHEPHERD. 
Psalm  xxiii. — "The  Lord  is  my  shepherd :  I  shall  not  want,"  &c,        .        60 

SERMON  V. 

THE  LIVING  SACRIFICE. 
Romans  xii.  1. — "I  beseech  you  therefore,  brethren,  by  the  mercies  of 
God,  that  ye  present  your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable 
unto  God,  which  is  your  reasonable  service," 85 

SERMON  VL 

REFUGES  OF  LIES. 
Isaiah  xxviii.  17. — "Judgment  also  will  I  lay  to  the  line,  and  righteous- 
ness to  the  plummet ;  and  the  hail  shall  sweep  away  the  refuge  of 
lies,  and  the  waters  shall  overflow  the  hiding-place,"        .        .        .      US 


IV  CONTENTS. 

SERMON  VII. 

THE  PRODIGAL  SON.  PA.OB 

Luke  xv.  20.—"  And  he  arose,  and  came  to  his  father,"  ....      128 

SERMON  VIII. 

CHRIST  PRE-EMINENT. 
Col.  i.  IS.— "And  he  is  the  head  of  the  body,  the  church:  who  is  the 
tiling,  the  first-born  from  the  dead;  that  in  all  things  he  might 
have  tiie  pre-eminence," 156 

SERMON  IX. 

WELCOME  TO  JESUS. 
John  vi.  3". — "Him  that  cometh  to  me,  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out,"       .       181 

SERMON  X. 

IN  CHRIST. 
2  Cor.  xii.  2.—"  I  knew  a  man  in  Christ," 198 

SERMON  XI. 

THE  NAME  OF  JESU& 
Phil,  ii.  10.— "That  at  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of 

things  in  heaven,  and  things  in  earth,  and  things  under  the  earth,"      226 

SERMON  XII. 

CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH. 
Phil.  i.  21.— "  For  to  me  to  live  is  Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain."         .        .      245 

SERMON  XIII. 

THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA. 
John  iv.  2G. — "  Jcmis  saith  unto  her,  I  that  speak  unto  thee  am  he,"     .      271 

SERMON  XIV. 

THE  GIIEEN  TREE  AND  THE  DRY. 
LuKKxxiii.  31.— "lor  if  they  do  these  things  in  a  green  tree,  what 

shall  be  done  in  the  dry  ?  " 305 

BERMON  XV. 

5IS  FoRlilVMN   AND  FORGOTTEN. 
Ibaiau  xliii.  25.— ••  J,  even  I,  am  he  that  hi  itteth  out  thy  transgressions 

for  mine  own  huke  and  will  not  ronicmbcr  thy  sins,"       .        .        ,      333 


SERMON  I 


CHRISTIAN  CHARITY. 


1  Cor.  xni. 


w  Though  I  speak  with  the  tongues  of  men  and  of  angels,  and  have 
not  charity,  I  am  become  as  sounding  brass,  or  a  tinkling 
cymbal.  And  though  I  have  the  gift  of  prophecy,  and  under- 
stand all  mysteries,  and  all  knowledge ;  and  though  I  have 
all  faith,  so  that  I  could  remove  mountains,  and  have  not 
charity,  I  am  nothing,"  &c. 

If  we  wished  to  take  a  text  from  which  to  speak  to 
you  upon  Christian  charity,  we  might  take  the  first 
three  words  in  the  first  verse  of  the  fourteenth  chapter 
— "Follow  after  charity."  But  we  think  it  better  to 
take  the  entire  of  the  thirteenth  chapter ;  for  here  the 
Apostle  Paul  gives  you  a  beautiful  exposition  of  the 
whole  subject;  and  oh,  may  the  Spirit  of  God  ex- 
pound it  to  our  understandings,  and  apply  it  to  our 
souls,  that  the  name  of  Christ  may  be  glorified ! 
Now,  the  Apostle  Paul  had  been  writing  to  his  chil- 
dren in  Christ,  the  Corinthians.  They  had  received 
from  the  Holy  Spirit  many  gifts,  and  of  these  he 
speaks  to  them  in  the  twelfth  chapter.  They  had 
A 


2  CHRISTIAN  CHARITY. 

received  from  the  Holy  Spirit  the  gift  of  prophecy, 
the  gift  of  speaking  with  tongues,  and  the  gift  of 
healing  diseases  ;  and  now,  in  the  last  verse  of  the 
twelfth  chapter,  Paul  says  to  them — "But  covet  ear- 
nestly the  best  gifts :  and  yet  shew  I  unto  you  a  more 
excellent  way."  In  thin  thirteenth  chapter  he  ex- 
pounds to  them  the  more  excellent  way,  and  beseeches 
them  to  "follow  after  charity."  I  like  the  Welsh 
translation  of  this  word,  which  is  simply  love ;  and 
the  French  translation,  which  is  simply  love ;  and  the 
word  in  the  original  just  means  love.  And  first,  Paul 
begins  by  giving  you  seven  different  contrasts  to  shew 
you  the  superiority  of  love  over  everything  else.  He 
then  goes  on  to  shew  you  sixteen  of  the  different 
foot-prints  of  charity.  He  begins  by  shewing,  in 
seven  different  ways,  the  superiority  of  charity ;  and 
in  order  to  do  this,  he  collects  together  the  different 
gifts  and  graces  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  con- 
trasts them  with  charity.  He  collects  together  many 
precious  stones,  and  pearls,  and  diamonds,  and  then 
brings  forth  from  the  crown  of  God,  that  jewel  that 
burns  with  unearthly  splendour,  and  shews  that  this, 
which  is  the  brightest  star  in  His  forehead,  outshines 
and  outvalues  all  the  rest. 

He  says  first— Though  I  had  the  gift  of  tongues— 
"  though  I  speak  with  the  tongues  of  men  * — though 
I  could  speak  in  all  the  different  languages  spoken 
among  men  throughout  the  world  ;  though  I  could 
converse  equally  well  with  the  Jew  in  Hebrew,  with 
the  Roman  in  Latin,  with  the  Chaldee,  the  Elamite, 


CHRISTIAN  CHARITY.  3 

the  Parthian,  the  Scythian,  with  all  men  of  all  nations, 
in  all  languages ;  yea,  and  more,  though  I  could  speak 
with  the  particular  power  of  particular  men  in  my 
own  language — though  I  could  reason  with  all  the 
clearness  and  accuracy  of  the  logician,  and  with  all 
the  depth  of  the  philosopher — though  I  could  dis- 
course with  the  flow,  and  rhythm,  and  beauty  of  the 
rhetorician — and  with  all  the  sweep,  and  power,  and 
eloquence  of  the  orator ;  yea,  "  though  I  could  speak 
with  the  tongues  of  angels  "  (to  what  a  height  he  rises 
here  !) — yea,  though  I  had  the  eloquence  of  angels, 
whose  words  I  heard  fourteen  years  ago — "whether 
in  the  body  or  out  of  the  body  I  cannot  tell ;  God 
knoweth ; "  whose  words  I  heard  in  heaven,  words 
which  it  is  not  lawful  for  man  to  utter ;  yea,  though  I 
had  the  voice  of  that  angel  who  shall  yet  descend  with 
the  trump  of  God,  and  call  the  dead  to  judgment — 
"  though  I  could  speak  with  the  tongues  of  men 
and  of  angels  *' — though  my  eloquence  were  winning 
eloquence,  moving  eloquence,  persuasive  eloquence, 
irresistible  eloquence,  overpowering  eloquence,  heavenly 
eloquence,  angelic  eloquence ;  yet,  if  I  had  not  got  one 
thing,  and  that  one  thing  made  of  little  account  by 
the  world — if  I  had  not  got  Christian  love,  I  am 
become  as  —  what?  A  rhetorician,  linguist,  philo- 
sopher, orator,  poet,  logician,  angel,  or  archangel  ?  — 
says  Paul,  "I  am  become  as  sounding  brass."  Ah, 
brethren,  here  is  a  comparison — "  as  sounding  brass,  or 
a  tinkling  cymbal."  Ah,  what  a  laugh  of  derision  is 
this  !      "As  a  tinkling  cymbal ! "      What,  then    are 


4  CHRISTIAN  CHARITY. 

such  gifts  as  these,  when  contrasted  with  love  ?     They 
are  less  than  nothing. 

He  says,  still  further,  "though  I  had  the  gift  of 
prophecy" — though  these  lips  of  mine,  like  the  lips 
of  Isaiah,  were  touched  with  a  burning  coal  from  the 
hallowed  altar  of  God — though  I  had  the  power  to 
pour  out  prophecies  in  a  stream  of  inspiration — though 
with  the  hand,  the  hand  of  a  prophet,  I  could  draw 
back  the  dark  veil  which  hangs  over  and  covers  fu- 
turity, and  shew  mankind  glimpses  of  the  bright  and 
beautiful  above,  and  of  the  dark  and  terrible  beneath — 
though  I  could  unfold  to  you  the  dread  secrets  of  future 
time  and  future  eternity — "though  I  had  the  gift  of 
prophecy  ; "  yea  more,  "  though  I  understood  all  mys- 
teries"— and  there  are  mysteries  in  multitudes,  which 
have  never  been  mentioned  to  us,  and  of  which  we 
have  never  dreamed,  as  well  as  those  of  which  we 
have  heard.  Why,  we  are  mysteries  to  ourselves.  Who 
can  understand  all  these  ?  Says  Paul,  though  I  could  J 
Try  now,  for  the  sake  of  the  argument,  that  you  may 
be  in  a  better  position  to  judge  of  the  unearthly  glory 
of  love,  to  place  yourselves  on  the  throne  which  Paul 
the  Apostle  occupies — though  you  understood  all  mys- 
teries. Who  can  understand  the  mystery  of  the  incar- 
nation? How  Jesus,  who  shewed  Himself  in  the 
form  of  flesh,  lived  on  earth,  and  died  on  the  cross, 
"was  God  manifested  in  the  flesh" — though  I  did! — 
"  though  I  understood  all  mysteries."  Who  can  under- 
hand the  mystery  of  Deity,  that  there  are  three  persons 
in  the  one  God ;  equal  in  power,  equal  in  wisdom,  and 


CHRISTIAN  CHAEITY.  5 

equal  in  glory,  yet  not  three  Gods,  only  one?  Who 
can  understand  this?  Though  I  did — "though  I 
understood  this  mystery,  and  all  knowledge  " — in  fact, 
though  I  knew  everything ;  yea  more,  "  though  I  had 
all  faith" — not  simply  some  faith,  not  faith  like  a  grain 
of  mustard- seed,  not  faith  whereby  I  could  remove  one 
solitary  mountain,  but  "all  faith/'  whereby  I  could 
work  the  most  stupendous  miracles,  and  roll  mountains 
into  the  depths  of  the  sea — "  and  have  not  charity, 
lam" — what?  A  prophet?  A  wise  man?  A  mighty 
miracle-worker  ?  "  I  am,"  says  Paul — I  hardly  know 
how  to  utter  it — "I  am — nothing — nothing — nothing 
— nothing— nothing."  0  man!  if  thou  hadst  the 
power  of  an  angel,  without  an  angel's  love,  thou  wouldst 
be  after  all  most  like  a  devil.  Now,  follow  Paul  still 
further:  "though  I  bestow  all  my  goods  to  feed  the 
poor ; "  surely,  that  would  be  a  charitable  act !  Alas ! 
there 's  many  an  uncharitable  charity.  A  man  might 
bestow  his  goods  to  feed  the  ]30or,  and  beggar  himself, 
and  all  from  selfishness.  And,  "  though  I  give  my 
body  to  be  burned" — how  to  be  burned?  At  the 
stake.  What  for?  Why,  as  a  martyr.  Oh,  this 
makes  us  tremble  for  many  of  the  old  martyrs !  You 
know  that  Roman  Catholics  have  been  burned  at  the 
stake  as  well  as  Protestants  ;  and  God  knows  !  num- 
bers have  been  burned  at  the  stake  more  through 
ignorance  than  knowledge,  and  more  for  Satan  than 
God.  Now  mark  well,  though  I  beggar  myself  for 
penance,  and  burn  as  a  martyr  at  the  stake,  if  I  have 
not  love,  all  will  profit  me  nothing.    If  a  man  had  all 


Q  CHRISTIAN  CHARITY. 

Christian  graces,  and  all  heavenly  gifts,  and  performed 
all  good  works,  and  practised  all  self-denials,  and 
suffered  all  painful  persecutions,  and  at  the  close  were 
carried  in  the  flaming  chariot  of  martyrdom  to  the 
portals  of  paradise,  if  he  had  not  love,  heaven's  gates 
would  be  for  ever  barred  against  him — all  would  profit 
him  nothing. 

The  apostle  goes  on  now  to  point  out  the  foot- 
prints of  charity ;  but  I  feel,  as  I  go  on  and  go  deeper 
into  the  subject,  the  utter  uselessness  of  my  speaking 
thus — I  feel  my  utter  impotency  as  I  stand  up  among 
you — I  feel  that  I  cannot  effect  any  good ;  but  oh.  if 
the  Spirit  of  God  work  among  you,  blessed  fruits  will 
follow,  and  you  will  walk  in  love's  footsteps  all  your 
days,  and  for  ever ! 

Mark,  then,  the  different  foot-prints  of  love,  which 
Paul  the  Apostle  discovers  to  us  : — 1 .  "  Charity  suffers 
long."  2.  "Is  kind."  3.  "Envieth  not."  4.  "Vaunt- 
eth  not  itself."  5.  "  Is  not  puffed  up."  6.  "  Doth  not 
behave  itself  unseemly."  7.  "  Seeketh  not  its  own/' 
8.  "  Is  not  easily  provoked."  9.  "  Thinketh  no  evil/' 
10.  "Bejoiceth  not  in  iniquity."  11.  "  Bejoiceth  in 
the  truth."  12.  "  Beareth  all  things."  13.  "Believeth 
all  things."  14.  "  Hopeth  all  things."  15.  "Endureth 
all  things."  16.  It  "never  faileth."  What  have  we 
here?  I  believe  that  the  Apostle  Paul  was  always 
filled  witli  thoughts  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  had 
Jesus  Christ  before  his  eyes  when  he  drew  this  picture. 
I  am  sure  he  must  have  been  "looking,"  as  he  says, 
"  unto  Jesus,"  for  this  is  one  of  the  most  exact  and 


CHRISTIAN  CHARITY.  7 

perfect  portraits  of  Christ  we  have  given  us  in  Scrip- 
ture ;  and  it  is  not  a  mere  miniature — it  is  a  full- 
length  portrait  from  head  to  foot  of  Christ's  character, 
as  it  was  manifested  when  He  moved  anions  men  in 
the  world.  And  I  tell  you,  dear  brethren,  that  I  have 
only  to  make  one  little  change  of  a  word  to  shew  you 
this.  Suppose,  instead  of  my  reading  the  word  "  charity," 
I  read  the  word  "  Christ,"  let  us  then  look  at  the  pas- 
sage, and  see  if  we  have  not  His  description.  "  Christ 
suffered  long  and  was  kind — Christ  envied  not — Christ 
vaunted  not  Himself,  and  was  not  puffed  up — Christ 
did  not  behave  Himself  unseemly — Christ  sought  not 
His  own — Christ  was  not  easily  provoked — Christ 
thought  no  evil — Christ  rejoiced  not  in  iniquity — 
Christ  rejoiced  in  the  truth — Christ  bore  all  things — 
Christ  believed  all  things — Christ  hoped  all  things — 
Christ  endured  all  things — Christ  never  failed."  Ah  ! 
wonder  not  that  this  could  be  applicable  to  Christ,  for 
Christ  was  love  concentrated — love  consolidated.  He 
was  love  exemplified — love  manifested ;  yea,  He  was 
love  incarnate  ! 

Now  I  beseech  you,  in  the  name  of  love,  to  "  follow 
after  Christ,"  and  I  beseech  you,  in  the  name  of  Christ, 
to  "  follow  after  love  ;"  and  if  you  follow  one,  you 
follow  both,  for  love  and  Christ  are  one.  Let  us  now, 
dear  brethren,  dwell  a  few  moments  on  these  words. 
First,  "  Charity  suffereth  long."  Christ  suffered  long 
with  the  coldness  of  His  disciples,  with  their  weakness, 
with  their  unbelief,  and  their  hardness  of  heart.  "  How 
long  sliall  I  suffer  you?"  says  Jesus;  u  how  long  shall 


8  CHRISTIAN  CHARITY. 

I  bear  with  you  ?"  Yet  still  He  suffered  them,  still  He 
bore  with  them ;  and,  in  addition  to  His  being  long- 
suffering,  He  was  also  kind  to  them.  Now,  dear 
brethren,  have  you  been  long-suffering  ?  Many  of  you 
are  placed  in  circumstances  of  peculiar  trial ;  you  meet 
with  a  great  deal  of  unkindness  in  the  household,  in 
business,  and  even  in  the  sanctuary.  Oh,  are  you 
long-suffering  to  those  who  treat  you  thus?  Are  you 
long-suffering?  You  say  you  try  to  be  so.  Now  I 
put  a  question  to  you — Are  you  kind  as  well  as  long- 
suffering  to  those  who  are  unkind  to  you  ?  I  do  not 
say  you  frown  at  those  who  frown  at  you,  or  scoff  at 
those  who  scoff  at  you  ;  but  do  you  not  often  give 
them  what  the  world  calls  the  cold  shoulder,  and  forget 
them  in  your  prayers  at  the  throne  of  God  ?  Is  this 
like  Christ  ?  Is  this  love  ?  Now,  turn  round  and  take 
a  new  course.  Take  coals  of  the  fire  of  love  and  heap 
them  on  their  heads,  and  you  shall  melt  down  the  ice 
of  indifference  into  the  streams  of  affection.  Remem- 
ber, love  is  kind. — "  Charity  envieth  not."  Now,  Christ 
envied  not.  He  was  so  poor,  that  when  they  came  to 
demand  the  tribute  money,  He  had  to  send  Peter  to 
the  sea-side  to  fetch  it  from  the  mouth  of  a  fish.  But 
did  He  envy  those  who  rolled  in  riches  along  the  streets 
of  Jerusalem  ?  Oh  no,  Christ  envied  not :  and  though 
the  foxes  had  holes,  and  the  birds  of  the  air  had  nests, 
yet  the  Son  of  man  had  not  where — when  His  hard 
day's  work  was  over — to  lay  His  weary  head ;  but  did 
He  envy  those  who  slept  in  their  palaces  in  Jerusalem  ? 
Ah  no,  He  envied  not.     Now,  do  you  envy  ?     Baxter 


CHRISTIAN  CHARITY.  9 

says  that  we  are  not  apt  so  much  to  envy  those  who 
are  above  us,  as  those  who  are  on  a  par,  on  a  level, 
with  ourselves.  Thus,  oftentimes,  the  physician  envies 
the  more  successful  physician  ;  the  lawyer,  the  lawyer  ; 
the  tradesman,  the  tradesman  ;  and,  alas,  God  knows ! 
the  minister,  the  minister.  But  love  never  envies.  0 
Christians,  envy  is  a  viper  that  will  poison  all  your 
happiness.  Oh,  pluck  it  out  of  your  bosom,  and 
trample  it  beneath  your  feet.  Remember  love  will 
lead  you  to  rejoice  at  the  superior  success,  and  pro- 
sperity, and  advancement  of  others.  Then  follow  it ! 
"  Charity  envieth  not." — "  Charity  vaunteth  not  itself, 
is  not  pufYed  up."  Now,  Christ  never  vaunted  Him- 
self. But  you  say,  Did  He  not  sometimes  speak  of 
His  glory  ?  Yes,  but  that  was  not  vaunting  Himself. 
Suppose  that  in  that  glass  globe  there  burned  a 
light ;  if  I  were  to  wrap  around  it  a  thin  veil,  would 
you  wonder  at  the  light  streaming  through  ?  You  say, 
No ;  and  when  the  glory  of  the  indwelling  Godhead 
was  covered  with  the  marred  veil  of  the  body  of  Jesus, 
do  you  wonder  at  the  beams  of  glory  that  sometimes 
shone  through  ?  And  shall  we  vaunt  ourselves,  when 
Christ  never  uttered  one  boastful  saying?  0  saints 
and  sinners  !  shall  Deity  be  clothed  with  humility,  and 
dust  with  pride?  God  forbid!  Oh,  pull  down  thy 
pride  from  its  pinnacle,  and  bury  it — bury  it  for  ever 
— bury  it  quick  out  of  sight !  0  brethren,  the  heavenly 
Jesus  humbled  Himself,  and  endured  cross  after  cross, 
shame  after  shame,  until  He  bore  the  shame  of  shames, 
and  the  cross  of  crosses,  being  put  to  death  as  a  vile 


1  0  CHRISTIAN  CHARITY. 

and  guilty  malefactor,  crucified  between  two  thieves 
on  Calvary.  0  brethren,  this  is  He  who  descended 
from  the  throne  of  God,  and  knelt  before  a  few  poor 
fishermen  to  wash  their  very  feet !  and  this,  that  He 
might  set  in  a  frame  of  never-equalled  glory  the  love- 
liest picture  of  humility  ever  painted,  and  exalt  it  to 
the  everlasting  admiration  of  all  earth  and  heaven. 
How  abominably  proud  many  of  us  are !  How  we 
scorn  to  notice  those  beneath  us !  How  enraged  we 
Peel  if,  by  chance,  a  poor  man  is  shewn  into  our  pew ! 
How  often  do  I  watch  you.  Sometimes  a  minister  is 
too  much  taken  up  with  the  effort  he  makes  to  preach 
to  observe  what  is  going  on  in  his  congregation  ;  but 
when  the  whole  congregation  is  very  still  and  attentive, 
an  observant  minister  sees  the  least  movement  any- 
where ;  and  he  often  sees  the  proud,  and  those  who 
come  in  with  "  a  gold  ring/'  and  with  "  goodly  ap- 
parel/' say  to  the  poor  man  who  comes  in,  as  James 
admirably  describes  it,  "  in  vile  raiment,"  "  Stand  thou 
there,"  or  "Sit  here  under  my  footstool."  The  aisle, 
or  the  free  seats,  are  good  enough  for  them !  Why, 
what  do  men  mean?  Is  not  the  great  difference 
between  the  rich  and  the  poor  simply  the  external 
one — the  dress,  and  equipage,  and  appearance.  Surely 
all  these  are  external — carnal — temporal.  Do  you  not 
remember  that  in  old  times  Christians  greeted  each 
other  with  a  holy  kiss  ;  and  do  you  think  the  poor 
people  merely  kissed  the  poor,  and  the  rich  the  rich? 
But  now  the  rich  man  draws  on  his  gloves,  and  offers 
his  finger  to  a  poorer  brother,  and  would  not  be  seen 


CHRISTIAN  CHARITY.  11 

noticing  the  very  poor  in  the  streets.  That  is  apos- 
tolic, is  it  not?  That  is  Christ-like,  is  it  not?  And 
that  is  being  clothed  with  humility,  is  it  not?  But 
these  are  they  who  corrupt  the  Church.  Ah,  luke- 
warm Laodiceans,  beware  lest  God  spue  you  out  of 
His  mouth  !  Oh,  humble  love,  let  me  walk  with  thee 
in.  the  steps  of  Jesus,  who  "  vaunted  not  Himself,  was 
not  puffed  up ! " 

"Love,"  says  Paul,  "doth  not  behave  itself  unseemly." 
I  am  sure  that  this  was  the  case  with  Christ.  His 
words,  His  looks,  and  His  actions,  were  all  seemly ; 
because  Christ's  words  were  words  of  love,  Christ's 
looks  were  looks  of  love,  and  Christ's  actions  were 
actions  of  love.  Oh  !  where  is  the  man  besides,  whose 
words  breathe  such  love,  whose  looks  shine  such  love, 
and  whose  actions  testify  such  love  ?  There  is  none. 
But  let  us  not  despair  :  let  us  imitate  this  pure,  modest, 
angel  love,  that  "  doth  not  behave  itself  unseemly." 

"Love,"  says  Paul,  "seeketh  not  her  own."  In 
leaving  heaven  Christ  sought  not  His  own ;  in  all 
His  preachings,  and  all  His  prayings,  and  all  His 
watchings,  and  all  His  weepings,  and  all  His  Buffer- 
ings, He  sought  our  good,  and  His  Father's  glory — 
"  He  sought  not  His  own."  And  I  tell  you  that  now 
He  has  gone  home  to  God  and  heaven,  He  still  con- 
tinues to  seek  our  good  ;  for  whether  you  wake  or 
sleep,  eat  or  drink,  labour  or  rest,  live  or  die,  Christ 
prays— prays— prays— prays— prays— prays  by  day 
and  by  night,  from  age  to  age ;  and  will  continue 
till  the  last   saint  is  gathered  home  to  God,  till  the 


12  CHRISTIAN  CHARITY. 

last  tears  are  wiped  away  from  the  eyes  of  the  last 
mourning:  saint,  for  "  He  ever  liveth,"  not  to  seek 
His  own,  but  "to  make  intercession  for  those  who 
come  unto  God  by  Him/'  Oh,  the  beauty  of  the  love 
of  Christ!  What  an  amazing  contrast  between  our 
conduct  and  His !  Oh,  where  shall  we  see  those  who 
are  not  selfish  ?  Where  shall  we  see  those  who  are 
self-forgetful  ?  I  look  around  me,  and  I  find  that  the 
great  moving  principle  that  keeps  this  world  going, 
whether  it  be  trade,  politics,  or  religion,  is  selfishness. 
I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that,  in  trade,  in  politics, 
and  in  the  religion  of  the  bulk  of  professors  this  is 
true  ;  and  thus  it  is — alas  !  alas ! — that  we  are  the 
delight  of  devils,  and  the  grief  of  God.  I  warn  you 
earnestly  against  selfishness.  But  there  are  some  of 
you  who  live  for  nothing  but  self.  Oh,  thou  that  dost 
rise  early  and  labour  late,  simply  that  thou  niayest 
aggrandise  thyself,  and  collect  a  little  of  the  dross 
of  this  world,  and  art  unmindful  of  the  crown  of  life 
held  by  the  angel  above  thy  head,  put  away  thy  muck- 
rake ;  God  has  something  better  to  offer  thee  than 
the  world  has.  Within  thy  reach  there  are  riches 
such  as  man  never  dreamed  of.  But  if  thou  turncst 
away  from  heaven's  opened  gates,  the  end  of  these 
things  will  be  most  miserable.  If  you  will  live  a 
worm's  life,  you  must  die  a  worm's  death.  For  selfish 
sinners  that  go  grovelling  all  their  days,  are  crushed 
at  last  under  the  foot  of  vengeance.  "  For  the  end  of 
these  things  is  death." 

"  Love,"    says    the   Apostle   Paul,    "  is   never  pro- 


CHRISTIAN  CHARITY.  13 

voked  ? "  He  does  not  say  that,  for  it  would  be  false  ; 
but  he  says,  "  Love  is  not  easily  provoked."  It  was 
because  Christ  was  not  easily  provoked  that  man 
dared  to  tamper  with  Him.  If  He  had  slain  those 
who  mocked  Him,  as  He  slew  those  who  mocked 
and  persecuted  some  of  the  old  prophets,  men  might 
have  ceased  to  trouble  Him,  but  He  came  not  to 
destroy,  but  to  save ;  and  never  was  He  provoked, 
even  by  the  most  aggravated  insults,  and  violent 
persecutions,  to  utter  a  curse  or  strike  a  blow.  And 
perhaps  some  of  you  go  on  in  sin  because  He  is  not 
easily  provoked  against  you.  Is  He  not,  you  ask, 
"the  Lamb  of  God?"  But  let  me  tell  you  that 
there  is  such  a  thing  as  the  "wrath  of  the  Lamb/' 
and  that  there  is  no  wrath  so  terrible.  That  ex- 
pression, "The  wrath  of  the  Lamb/'  is  perhaps  the 
most  black  and  awful  one  occurring  in  the  whole 
Scriptures  from  first  to  last.  It  is  true,  0  sinner! 
that  wrath  is  not  easily  provoked ;  you  may  go  on 
in  sin  for  a  while  ;  you  may  try  to  the  utmost  Christ's 
forbearance  ;  but  I  tell  you  solemnly  that  the  last  sin 
that  God  permits  you  to  sin — and  there  is  a  measure 
known  to  Goi  which  you  shall  not  more  than  fill — ■ 
there  is  a  bound  fixed  beyond  which  you  shall  not 
go ;  when  you  have  committed,  I  say,  the  last  sin 
which  God  permits,  then  shall  wrath  come  upon  you 
to  the  uttermost.  Oh,  'tis  hard  to  upheave  the  flood- 
gates of  the  wrath  of  God!  but  thy  last  sin  shall  do 
it ;  and  as  sure  as  God  made  you,  God  shall  destroy 
you — you  shall  die  in  your  sins.     Oh,  turn  from  the 


14j  christian  charity. 

error  of  your  ways !  oh,  cease  to  provoke  God  to 
anger  !  and  oh,  take  shelter  under  the  cross  of  Christ ! 
and  you  shall  not  die,  but  live,  saith  the  Lord.  And 
now,  I  beseech  you,  brethren,  in  the  name  of  God 
and  by  the  gentleness  of  Jesus,  not  to  be  easily  pro- 
voked with  each  other.  "If  it  be  possible,  as  much 
as  in  you  lies,  live  peaceably  with  all  men/'  even  with 
the  most  unkind,  and  froward,  and  passionate.  Re- 
member, if  God  bears  with  that  person,  well  may  you 
do  so ;  and  more  than  that,  return  every  curse  with 
a  blessing,  and  "  pray  for  those  who  despitefully  use 
and  persecute  you/' 

"  Love,"  says  Paul,  "  thinketh  no  evil."  He  means — 
Love  puts  the  best  construction  on  the  manners,  and 
language,  and  looks,  and  lives  of  others ;  and  where  it 
is  possible  to  think  good  of  another,  thinks  no  evil. 
He  does  not  mean  to  say  that  love  never  sees  sin  in 
others.  Love  is  often  more  sharp-sighted  than  hatred  : 
why,  Christ,  who  is  love  itself,  is  not  blind  to  the  sins 
of  others  ;  but  He  never  thinks  evil  of  a  man  when  He 
should  think  well.  "Thinketh  no  evil." — "Love  re- 
joiceth  not  in  iniquity/'  like  the  devils  in  hell ;  but 
"rejoiceth  in  the  truth,"  like  the  angels  in  heaven. 
"Love,"  says  Paul,  "beareth  all  things" — like  Christ, 
"our  sorrows."  "Love  believeth  all  things" — every 
promise,  and  prophecy,  and  word  of  truth.  "Love 
hnpeth  all  things ; "  yea,  even  hopeth  against  hope. 
"Love  endureth  all  things,"  even  to  martyrdom.  "  Love 
never  faileth  " — never  faileth !  There  is  the  rock  I  rest 
on.     Do  you  want  to  know  what  is  the  key  to  the  final 


CHRISTIAN  CHARITY.  15 

perseverance  of  the  saints?  Here  it  is — "Love  never 
faileth'."  Now  I 'do  not  mean  the  love  in  the  bosom  of 
the  believer  for  Jesus,  but  the  love  in  the  bosom  of 
Jesus  Christ  for  the  believer,  who  is  "the  same  yester- 
day, to-day,  and  for  ever."  Ah  !  we  live  in  the  midst 
of  constant  and  never-ceasing  changes.  There  is  no- 
thing in  the  world  that  doth  not  alter.  The  winds  are 
always  veering  about ;  sometimes  they  blow  from  the 
cold  north,  again  from  the  sunny  south  ;  sometimes 
from  the  bleak  and  bitter  east,  again  from  the  warm 
west.  Ever  changing!  The  clouds  sometimes  drift 
above  us  in  black  masses,  again  they  float  over  us  in 
white  volumes.  Ever  changing  !  The  tides  do  ebb 
and  flow  ;  the  moon  doth  wax  and  wane ;  the  stars 
do  rise  and  set ;  the  seasons  do  come  and  go ;  the 
days  do  dawn  and  die.  Ever  changing  !  The  flowers 
of  the  field  do  grow,  and  blossom,  and  bloom,  and 
blush ;  but  they  pale,  and  wither,  and  droop,  and  die ! 
Ever  changing !  Do  not  wonder,  then,  that  your 
strength  should  become  weakness ;  that  your  health 
should  become  sickness ;  that  your  life  should  be 
turned  to  death,  and  your  earth  to  heaven  or  hell. 
But,  oh,  "  love  never  faileth !  **  Its  eye  is  undimmed, 
though  it  hath  wept  a  thousand  times ;  its  brow  is 
unfurrowed,  though  it  hath  seen  a  thousand  sorrows. 
Oh,  love  of  Jesus !  thou  art  "  the  same  yesterday, 
to-day,  and  for  ever."  On  that  rock,  amidst  these 
swelling  seas,  and  drifting  clouds,  and  rolling  thunders, 
and  raging  storms,  hath  God  built  His  Church,  and 
the  gates  of  hell — which  mean  the  powers  of  death — 


16  CHRISTIAN  CHARITY. 

shall  not  prevail  against  it.  0  brethren!  here  is  a 
haven  for  the  tempest-tost,  and  a  rest  for  the  weary — 
the  love  of  Jesus  which  "  never  faileth."  And  now,  be 
you  to  each  other,  what  Christ  is  to  you — unfailing 
in  love.  0  mother!  never  fail  thy  child,  though  it 
grieve  and  wound  thee  :  Christ  never  faileth  thee.  0 
child  !  never  fail  thy  parent,  though  that  parent  forget 
thee :  Christ  never  faileth  thee.  0  husband !  never 
fail  thy  wife,  even  though  she  sin  and  wander  from 
thee :  for  Christ  never  faileth  thee.  0  woman ! 
never  fail  thy  husband,  though  he  be  unkind  and  cruel 
to  thee :  Christ  never  faileth  thee.  0  pastor !  never 
fail  your  people  :  Christ  never  faileth  you.  And  0 
people !  never  fail  your  pastor ;  bear  him  on  your 
bosoms  to  the  throne  of  grace,  -and  in  prayer  there 
keep  him  before  Jehovah  :  Christ  never  faileth  you. 

Now  Paul  draws  the  subject  to  a  conclusion.  He 
shews  us,  in  the  last  few  verses,  how  that  though  other 
things  fail,  love  fails  not.  He  says — "  But  whether  there 
be  prophecies,  they  shall  fail."  Mark  that,  He  does 
not  mean  that  one  jot  or  tittle  of  God's  prophecies 
shall  fail  of  fulfilment,  but  he  means  that  the  gift  of 
prophecy  shall  fail,  and  you  know  that  it  has  already. 
There  are  some  who  profess  to  have  it  still ;  but  their 
profession  is  pretence.  I  have  met  some  of  them,  and 
h(  ard  from  others.  One  I  met  a  few  weeks  ao;o  calling 
hims<  If  Elijah,  and  I  have  received  several  letters  from 
him  since  ;  but  such  prophets  are  either  very  sinful  or 
very  mad,  seeing  the  gift  is  withdrawn.  But,  "  whether 
there  be  tongues,  they  shall  cease."     Does  Paul  mean 


cnmsnAK  charity.  :7 

that  there  shall  be  silence  in  heaven,  or  silence  in  hell? 
Ah,  no !  For  in  heaven  they  shall  sing  the  song  of 
Moses  and  the  Lamb  ;  and  in  hell  there  shall  be  weep- 
ing, and  wailing,  and  gnashing  of  teeth.  He  means 
by  this — "Whether  there  be  the  miraculous  gift  of 
speaking  with  tongues,  this  shall  cease,"  and  it  has 
ceased.  "  Whether  there  be  knowledge,  it  shall  vanish 
away."  Why  is  not  knowledge  to  continue?  I  tell 
you,  that  the  foolishness  of  God  is  wiser  than  our 
present  knowledge ;  for,  says  Paul,  it  is  but  partial ; 
and  he  confirms  and  illustrates  this  by  saying — "Per 
we  know  in  part,  and  we  prophesy  in  part.  But  when 
that  which  is  perfect  is  come" — and  we  bless  God  that 
which  is  perfect  is  coming — "  then  that  which  is  in  part 
shall  be  done  away.  When  I  was  a  child,  I  spake  as 
a  child,  I  understood  as  a  child,  I  thou<Jhfc  as  a  child : 
but  when  I  became  a  man,  I  put  away  childish  things." 
Here  he  contrasts  his  knowledge  on  earth  and  his 
knowledge  in  heaven — now  a  child,  then  a  man.  But 
though  this  is  the  child  Paul  speaking  to  us,  there  in 
nothing  childish  in  what  he  says,  for  it  is  the  wisdom 
of  the  Most  High  he  utters — God  speaking  to  us  by 
His  child's  lips.  Ah,  brethren,  what  children  we  are 
still !  Do  I  not  see  trickling  down  the  faces  of  some 
of  you  tears  of  sorrow,  and  why  is  this?  Ah,  you  say, 
God  has  taken  away  from  me  the  one  I  loved.  Some 
toy,  was  it?  I  tell  thee — Weep  no  more;  for,  mark 
me,  thou  shalt  presently  put  away  the  toys  and  the 
tears  of  childhood  together.  But  you  say — It  was  not 
a  toy  God  took  away,  it  was  that  one  I  loved.     Some 

B 


18  CHRISTIAN  CHARITY. 

tender  plant,  perhaps,  that  grew  up  by  thee,  and  twined 
its  soft  tendrils  round  and  round  thy  heartstrings  ;  and 
God  saw  that  thou  didst  love  that  flower  more  than 
thou  didst  love  Himself,  and  He  touched  it,  and  it 
withered,  and  you  wept.  But,  0  child  of  earth,  weep 
no  more  ;  for  though  God  will  not  bring  thee  back  thy 
flower,  yet  thou  shalt  see  it  again,  for  He  will  carry 
thee  to  His  Eden,  where  it  blooms  beneath  a  brighter 
sky,  and  will  wipe  all  thy  tears  away.  "  When  I 
became  a  man,  I  put  away  childish  things/' 

"  For  now  we  see  through  a  glass  darkly,"  What 
is  the  meaning  of  this  ?  Glass  was  not  known  in  the 
days  of  the  Apostle  Paul ;  the  word  simply  means  a 
mirror — "  For  now  we  see  in  a  mirror  darkly/'  or  u  in 
a  riddle/'  as  some  read.  Now  turn  to  the  third  chap- 
ter of  second  Corinthians,  you  will  find  a  verse  that  will 
give  you  some  light.  He  says  in  the  eighteenth  verse 
— "  But  we  all,  with  open  face  beholding  as  in  a  glass 
the  gloiy  of  the  Lord,  are  changed  into  the  same  image 
from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord." 
All  God's  glory  we  see  at  present  is  reflected  glory ; 
and  even  when  we  seem  to  behold  Christ  most  clearly, 
we  see  but  His  image  after  all.  A  great  mirror  lies 
before  me,  clear  as  crystal,  and  in  it  I  see  reflected  the 
forms  of  angels  most  beautiful,  and  the  forms  of  devils. 
Here  I  see  patriarchs,  and  prophets,  and  priests,  and 
kings,  and  apostles,  and  martyrs,  and  all  the  144,000 
in  white  array.  Here  I  see  the  creation,  and  the  flood, 
and  the  general  judgment,  and  hell,  and  heaven ;  but 
all  too  "darkly;"   in  outline  sometimes  bright,  and 


CHRISTIAN  CHARITY.  19 

sometimes  dim ;  and  that  magic  mirror  is  the  Bible. 
But  it  shall  not  be  so  long  ;  for  by  and  by  the  veil  shall 
be  taken  away,  and,  looking  up  from  the  mirror,  we 
shall  see  all  things  "  face  to  face."  Oh,  I  think  that 
many  a  sermon  might  be  preached  from  these  words, 
"face  to  face!"  They  sparkle  with  heavenly  light — 
"  face  to  face ! "  Thank  God,  the  veil  that  hides  the 
face  of  Jesus  shall  soon  be  drawn  back.  Then  shall 
we  see  Him  "  as  He  is  ; "  and  then,  oh,  blessed  be  God, 
shall  He  see  us  "  as  He  is,"  for  we  shall  be  like  Him, 
and  shall  meet  Him  "face  to  face."  "For  now  we 
know  in  part,  but  then  shall  we  know  even  as  also  we 
are  known." 

"  And  now,"  says  the  Apostle  Paul,  winding  up,  and 
drawing  to  a  close,  "now  abideth  faith,  hope,  charity, 
these  three  ;  but  the  greatest  of  these  is  charity."  Be- 
fore you  go,  permit  me  to  ask  you,  Why  do  faith,  hope, 
and  charity,  of  necessity  abide  during  the  present  dis- 
pensation ?  First,  faith  abides  ;  because  without  faith 
it  is  impossible  to  please  God,  and  without  pleasing 
God  it  is  impossible  to  enter  heaven.  Have  you  faith  ? 
Have  you  faith  ?  Oh,  remember,  "  He  that  believcth 
shall  be  saved,  and  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be 
damned  ! "  "  Now  abideth  hope,"  says  Paul.  And  why 
does  hope  abide  ?  Because,  while  tossed  on  the  stormy 
sea  of  this  life,  the  only  anchor  that  keeps  us  from  drift- 
ing to  darkness  and  death  is  the  anchor  of  hope ;  and, 
blessed  be  God,  we  are  told  by  Paul  that  it  is  "  sure  and 
steadfast."  Perhaps  many  of  you  would  be  inclined 
to  think  that  these  two  words  have  one  and  the  same 


20  CHXISTIAN  CI1AEITY. 

meaning.  But  hear  one  who  knows  what  it  is  to  he 
tossed  at  anchor  off  a  lee-shore  tell  you  what  two  dan- 
gers a  vessel  is  in  when  she  lies  in  such  a  situation, 
when  the  storm  is  fierce  and  the  strain  great.  If  the 
anchor  bends  or  breaks,  it  will  come  up,  and  the  vessel 
will  drift  to  destruction  ;  or,  if  the  anchor  were  to  re- 
main unbroken  and  unbent,  and  to  drag  and  drag 
along  the  bottom,  the  vessel  would  likewise  drift  to 
ruin.  But,  blessed  be  God,  our  anchor  is  sure ;  it  can 
neither  break  nor  bend.  Our  anchor  is  steadfast ;  it 
can  neither  drift  nor  drag.  Not  the  mightiest  tornado 
that  ever  tore  up  the  depths  of  ocean  can  drive  a  Chris- 
tian from  his  anchorage,  for  "hope" — our  hope — 
"  abideth." 

But  Paul  adds  to  faith  and  hope,  "  charity  ■' — "  these 
three."  Now,  tell  me  why  love  abides.  Why  ?  The 
fact  of  it  is,  that  the  first,  second,  third,  fourth,  fifth, 
sixth,  seventh,  eighth,  ninth,  and  tenth  commandments, 
given  from  the  smoking  summit  of  Sinai,  that  trembled 
beneath  the  weight  of  God's  glory  ;  these  ten  command- 
ments are  every  one  embodied  in  the  eleventh  com- 
mandment— "Love."  "A  new  commandment,"  saith 
Christ,  "  I  give  unto  you,"  and  that  commandment  is 
the  law  of  love  ;  therefore  "  love  abideth." 

But  the  greatest  of  these  is  charity.  Now,  brethren, 
how  is  this  ?  How  is  this  ?  How  is  charity  greater 
than  faith,  and  greater  than  hope?  I  believe  for  this 
one  reason — just  because  love  shall  live  when  both 
faith  and  hope  are  dead  and  buried.  Now,  do  not 
mistake  me.     I  do  not  say  that  there  will  be  no  faith 


CHRISTIAN  CHARITY.  21 

and  no  hope  in  heaven  ;  but  they  will  be  very  different 
in  their  nature ;  for  when  I  see  Christ  face  to  face,  I 
shall  no  more  care  about  "  the  evidence  of  things  not 
seen."  I  shall  no  longer  want  this  glass,  in  which  I 
see  but  "darkly."  So  with  hope,  the  sailor  leaves  the 
anchor  behind  when  he  comes  on  shore.  But  though 
we  shall  no  more  want  this  faith  and  this  hope,  yet 
faith  and  hope  will  be  in  heaven,  but  so  transformed 
that  you  shall  hardly  know  them ;  for  they  shall  have 
wings  there — and  one,  one  shall  sing  before  the  throne, 
and  the  other,  the  other  shall  gaze  on  into  futurity. 
But  oh,  this  love  shall  be  there — grown  from  childhood 
to  manhood,  but  still  the  same  love,  "  for  the  greatest 
of  these  is  charity."  0  brethren !  I  could  fancy  faith, 
and  hope,  and  charity,  coming  for  the  first  time  to  the 
gates  of  heaven.  Christ  has  been  preparing  the  many 
mansions,  but  they  are  still  empty.  An  angel  stands 
watching  at  the  gates ;  and  presently  Faith  comes  up, 
and  knocks,  and  the  angel  opens  the  gates,  and  says — 
"Who  art  thou?"  Saith  Faith— " Angel,  it  is  I." 
*  0  Faith !  "  saith  the  angel,  "  there  are  no  blind  eyes, 
dumb  tongues,  deaf  ears,  or  dead  souls  in  heaven. 
There  are  on  earth.  Go  back ;  open  the  eyes  of  the 
blind,  unstop  the  ears  of  the  deaf,  loose  the  tongues  of 
the  dumb,  and  raise  the  dead,  and  guide  them  to  this 
gate  ;  but  thou  canst  not  enter  here."  And  the  angel 
closeth  the  gates.  Anon,  Hope  cometh  up  and  knocks 
at  the  gates,  and  the  angel  opens  them  and  saith — 
"Who  art  thou?"  Saith  Hope— " Angel,  it  is  I." 
"  What  dost  thou  hold  in  thy  hand?"  saith  the  angel. 


22  CHRISTIAN  CHARITY. 

"  It  is  my  taper/'  saith  Hope.  "  0  Hope !  n  saith 
the  angel,  "  thy  light  would  die  here  in  heaven,  '  as  a 
dim  candle  dies  at  noon/  for  here  'the  Lord  is  our 
everlasting  light/  and  'our  God  our  glory/  but  there 
are  dark  valleys  of  sorrow  and  of  death  on  earth.  Go 
back  ;  light  poor  pilgrims  through  the  darkness  to  this 
gate  ;  but  thou  canst  not  enter  here/'  Presently,  Love 
comes  and  knocks  at  the  gates  of  heaven,  and  the  angel 
rolls  them  back,  and  gazing,  gazing  with  admiration, 
on  Love,  he  saith,  "Who  art  thou?"  Saith  Love — 
"Angel,  it  is  I."  "0  Love  !"  saith  the  angel,  "come 
in  !  come  in  ! — thou  mayest  enter  here  ;  behold — be- 
hold thy  throne — it  is  the  throne  of  God."  And  the 
angel  closeth  the  gates.  "  For  the  greatest — the  greatest 
— the  greatest  of  these  is  charity!" 

Now,  in  conclusion,  let  me  bind  up  two  arguments 
in  two  sentences,  in  order  that  you  may  see  the  superi- 
ority of  love.  You  cannot  say,  "  Heaven  is  faith  ; "  you 
cannot  say,  "  Heaven  is  hope ; "  but  you  can  say,  "Heaven 
is  love  ! "  Therefore,  the  greatest  of  these  is  charity  J 
Now,  take  one  more,  still  better.  You  cannot  say, 
"God  is  faith  ;"  you  cannot  say,  "God  is  hope ;"  but 
you  can  say,  "  God  is  love  \"  Therefore,  therefore,  there- 
fore, "the  greatest  of  these  is  charity! "  Now,  with  over- 
whelming power  do  these  words  come  home  to  your 
hearts  and  consciences — "Follow  after  charity,"  that 
you  may  follow  after  long-suffering,  and  kindness,  and 
humility,  and  modesty,  and  gentleness,  and  purity,  and 
joy,  and  truth,  and  submission,  and  faith,  and  hope,  and 
endurance,  and  unchangeableness.     Oh!  "follow  after 


CHRISTIAN  CHARITY.  23 

charity,"  and  it  will  lead  you  up  that  ladder  Jacob  saw 
in  dreams,  to  glory,—  ^where  you  shall  breathe  the  at- 
mosphere of  love,  and  walk  in  the  light  of  love,  and 
wear  the  crown  of  love,  and  dwell  with  the  angels  of 
love,  and  commune  with  the  saints  of  love,  and  speak 
the  language  of  love,  and  sing  the  song  of  love,  and  see 
the  Lamb  of  love,  and  dwell  with  the  God  of  love ! — 
and  all,  For  Ever  ! 

0  sinner,  the  blackest  sin  of  omission  you  can  com- 
mit, is  not  to  love  God.  Stop,  and  listen,  lest  you  die 
in  your  sins.  Unless  "  the  love  of  God  is  shed  abroad 
in  your  heart/'  you  perish — without  hope — in  hell. 
God  offers  to  do  this  by  His  Spirit,  for  all  who  come  to 
Him  through  Christ.  Hear  God,  0  man !  Hear  God, 
0  woman  ! — "  As  I  live,"  saith  the  Lord,  "  I  have  no 
pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  wicked,  but  rather  that  he 
turn  from  his  wickedness  and  live.  Turn  ye,  turn  ye, 
for  why  will  ye  die,  0  house  of  Israel  ?  " 


SEEMON  II. 


CHRIST'S  MEASURELESS  LOVE. 

Ephesians  iiL  19. 
"And  to  know  the  love  of  Christ,  which  passeth  knowledge." 

This  sentence  forms  part  of  Paul's  prayer  for  the 
Ephesians  :  "  I  pray,"  lie  says,  "  that  the  Father  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  would  grant  you,  according  to  the 
ridies  of  his  glory,  to  be  strengthened  with  might  by 
his  Spirit  in  the  inner  man  ;  that  Christ" — your  pre- 
cious treasure — "may  dwell"  —  always  —  "in  your 
heart7' — not  so  far  off! — "your  heart,  by  faith" — the 
hand  that  feels  him  there  ;  "that  ye,  being  rooted" — 
u  rooted  and  grounded,"  so  that  neither  storm  nor  flood 
can  move  you — "  in  love  !  " — oh,  heavenly  foundation ! 
— that  ye  being  imbedded  in  depths  of  love,  "  may  be 
able  to  comprehend  with  all  saints  what  is  the  breadth, 
and  length,  and  depth,  and  height  of  the  love  of  Christ ; " 
which  is  broader  than  ocean — longer  than  time — deeper 
than  hell — higher  than  heaven  ;  and  "know  the  love  of 
Christ,  which  passeth  knowledge,  that  ye  might  be  filled 
with  all  the  fulness  of  God!" 


CHIUST  S  MEASURELESS  LOVE.  25 

Here  is  "  the  fulness  of  God  I" — He  whose  inner  man 
is  strengthened  with  might  by  the  Spirit — he  whose 
heart  through  faith  is  inhabited  by  Christ — he  whose 
roots  and  foundations  are  grounded  in  love — and  he 
whose  soul  comprehends  the  love  of  Christ,  is  "filled 
with  all  the  fulness  of  God."  "And  to  know  the  love 
of  Christ,  which  passeth  knowledge." 

These  words  may  seem  to  many  of  you  to  be  words 
of  paradox.  You  say,  "How  can  I  understand  that 
which  I  never  can  understand?  How  can  I  compre- 
hend  that  which  I  never  can  comprehend  ?  How  can 
I  know  the  love  of  Christ,  when  at  the  same  time  it 
passeth  knowledge?''  Now,  it  is  just  one  of  those 
spiritual  things  which  are  only  spiritually  understood. 
"  The  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God/'  and  under- 
standeth  not  these  things ;  in  fact,  they  are  "  foolish- 
ness "  to  it.  The  carnal  man  may  sit  here  and  listen 
attentively  to  what  we  have  to  say  upon  the  subject, 
and  fancy  he  understands ;  but  these  things,  after  all, 
will  be  but  foolishness  to  him,  because  they  are  only 
"  spiritually  discerned ; "  "  but  God  hath  revealed  them 
unto  us  by  His  Spirit,  for  the  Spirit  searches  all  things, 
yea  the  deep  things  of  God."  The  Scripture  contains 
many  apparent  spiritual  paradoxes.  For  instance,  the 
Apostle  Paul,  when  speaking  of  himself  and  his  fellow- 
apostles,  says,  that  they  are  "as  sorrowful,  yet  always 
rejoicing." — How  can  that  be?  "As  poor,  yet  making 
many  rich." — How  can  that  be  ?  "  As  having  nothing, 
yet  possessing  all  things." — How  can  that  be?    And 


26  chpjst's  measureless  love. 

now  He  prays  that  you  may  know  the  love  of  Christ, 
that  "  passeth  knowledge." 

Now,  in  speaking  upon  this  living  love — because  you 
must  know  the  love  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  not 
something  dead  and  buried — that  was,  and  is  not ;  in 
speaking  of  this  love,  which  is  as  real,  as  deep,  as 
mighty,  and  as  fervent  this  night  as  it  has  ever  been, 
and  as  it  ever  will  be,  our  object  shall  be  just  to  shew 
one  thing,  that  the  love  of  Jesus  can  never  be  fully 
known — that  it  "passeth  all  understanding."  And, 
dear  brethren,  the  more  I  consider  this  subject,  the 
more  it  overpowers  me.  Suppose  I  take  a  dim  taper 
light,  and  go  into  a  large  room  that  is  quite  dark ;  I 
hold  it  above  my  head,  and  it  only  serves  to  shew  me 
the  darkness  of  the  room.  Now,  suppose,  passing  into 
a  larger  room,  I  increase  the  light ;  then  it  shews  me 
a  larger  circle  of  darkness  around  the  larger  circle  of 
light  Suppose  I  pass  into  the  open  air,  into  the  calm, 
still,  pitch-dark  night ;  I  increase  the  light,  say,  a  thou- 
sand-fold, into  a  mighty  burning  blaze,  shining  amid 
the  gloom  ;  does  not  that  increased  circle  of  light  shew 
me  an  increased  circle  of  darkness  around  it  ?  It  is  so 
with  us  this  evening ;  we  may  light  the  torch  and  go 
forth  into  the  darkness  of  this  mystery,  and  see  more 
of  it  than  we  ever  saw — and  find  that  there  is  more  of 
it  that  we  cannot  see,  than  we  ever  thought  there  was 
before.  Not  all  the  dawning  light  of  that  eternity 
which  shall  presently  shine  around  me,  can  light  up  all 
the  depth  of  this  mystery — not  all  the  light  of  that  day, 
when  the  world  burns  as  a  red  beacon,  shedding  a  fiery 


Christ's  measureless  love.  27 

glow  far  and  wide  over  the  great  universe,  shall  shew 
me  all  the  breadth  of  this  mystery — yea,  not  all  the 
glory  of  heaven,  which  shall  shine  in  concentrated 
splendour  upon  its  altar  for  evermore,  shall  rise  high 
enough,  or  reach  far  enough  to  fill  this  measureless 
Temple  of  Mystery  !  The  love  of  Christ  is  a  mystery 
to  all  but  God,  and  will  be  so,  I  believe,  through  all 
eternity.  Be  not  surprised  then  at  Paul's  prayer ;  but, 
oh,  make  it  your  own,  say  from  your  heart — Oh,  may  I 
"know  the  love  of  Christ,  which  passe th  knowledge  !" 

In  speaking  upon  this  precious  and  blessed  subject, 
I  shall  try  to  shew  you  seven  views  of  it. 

1.  You  never  can  fully  know  the  cause  of  the  love  of 
Christ.  2.  You  never  can  fully  know  the  beginning  of 
the  love  of  Christ.  3.  You  never  can  fully  know  the 
greatness  of  the  love  of  Christ.  4.  You  never  can 
fully  know  the  tenderness  of  the  love  of  Christ.  5. 
You  never  can  fully  know  the  immutability  of  the  love 
of  Christ.  6.  You  never  can  fully  know  the  value  of 
the  love  of  Christ.  7.  You  never  can  fully  know  the 
end  of  the  love  of  Christ. 

In  its  cause,  its  beginning,  its  greatness,  its  tender- 
ness, its  immutability,  its  value,  and  its  end,  it  "  passeth 
knowledge." 

I.  Now,  what  was  its  cause  f  There  are  some  of 
you,  I  dare  say,  thoughtful  persons.  You  may  leave 
this  sanctuary,  then,  and  shut  yourselves  up  in  your 
studies,  and  meditate  upon  Christ's  love,  in  order  to 
discover  its  cause,  and  all  in  vain.  You  may  then  turn 
away  baffled,  from  the  exercise  of  your  own  ingenuity, 


28  CHEISl'S  MEASUKELESS  LOVE. 

to  books  written  by  uninspired  men,  and  search  every 
work  in  every  language,  and  not  find  the  secret.  You 
may  then  turn  to  the  Word  of  God ;  and  you  may,  I 
believe,  search  every  book,  and  every  chapter,  and  every 
page,  and  every  verse,  and  every  line,  and  every  word, 
and  every  syllable,  and  every  letter,  from  the  first  chap- 
ter and  word  in  Genesis  to  the  last  chapter  and  word 
in  Revelation,  without  discovering  it. 

Now,  consider  for  a  few  moments.  We  know  that 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  loves  what  is  holy ;  therefore,  if 
we  were  holy,  He  would  have  loved  us  for  that  reason. 
Now,  is  this  the  cause  ?  Does  He  love  us  because  we 
are  holy  ?  I  ask  you,  Is  a  man  who  is  blind  with  sin, 
deaf  with  sin,  dumb  with  sin,  crippled  with  sin,  cursed 
with  sin,  dying  with  sin,  and  ready  to  be  damned  with 
sin — is  such  a  one  holy  ?  Such  then  are  we  ;  and  yet 
He  loved  us  !     Oh,  why  ? 

Christ  knew  that  Paul  would  be  born  in  sin  and 
shapen  in  iniquity,  and  yet  He  loved  him.  Christ  knew 
that  he  would  be  educated  as  a  proud,  self-righteous 
Pharisee,  and  yet  He  loved  him.  Christ  knew  that  he 
would  help  the  murderers  of  His  blessed  martyr,  Ste- 
phen, and  yet  He  loved  him.  Christ  knew  that  he  would 
make  havoc  of  the  Church,  and  breathe  out  threatenings 
and  slaughter  against  His  saints,  and  drag  strong  men 
and  helpless  women  to  prison,  and  all  for  His  name's 
sake — and  yet  He  loved  him.  Paul  could  say  of  Him, 
"Who  loved  me,  and  gave  Himself  for  me." 

Now,  we  often  love  others  because  they  love  us  ;  love 
in  them  to  us  begets  love  in  us  to  them.     Now,  have 


CHRIST  S  MEASURELESS  LOVE.  20 

we  discovered  here  the  cause  of  Christ's  iove  to  us? 
Or,  in  plainer  language,  did  He  love  us  because  we 
first  loved  Him?  We  are  compelled  to  reverse  this 
order ;  the  Scripture  says — "  We  love  Him  because  He 
first  loved  us." 

Perhaps  some  of  you  say  the  cause  of  Christ's  love  to 
us  is  this — He  is  our  father,  and  it  is  natural  in  Him 
to  love  us.  What  do  you  mean  :  our  father  by  nature, 
or  our  father  by  grace  ?  If  you  mean  the  former,  then 
I  say  you  argue  that  one  man  has  Christ's  love  as  much 
as  another — Judas  as  much  as  John. 

But  you  will  not  say  that  He  loves  all  men  alike — ■ 
now,  why  does  He  love  the  Church  more  than  the  world  ? 
Is  it  because  He  is  the  father  of  their  spiritual  life  as 
saints  ?  Why,  we  learn  that  He  loved  them  before  they 
became  saints — yea,  before  they  were  born.  And 
why  ?  Who  can  tell  me  ?  Because,  says  one,  He 
chose  them.  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  His  love 
followed  His  choice — that  His  choice  of  them  was  the 
cause  of  His  love  to  them  ?  Why  both  love  and  choice 
are  equally  from  all  eternity !  What  caused  His  love, 
I  say  ?  You  cannot  tell,  and  perhaps  shall  never  know 
it.  I  believe  everything  about  God  Himself  to  be  un- 
searchable. None  can  measure  His  strength,  fathom 
His  knowledge,  conceive  His  infinity,  calculate  His  age, 
explain  His  nature,  or  understand  His  heart. 

Augustine  was  walking  one  morning  by  the  sea- 
shore, meditating  on  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity.  Three 
holy  persons,  thought  he,  in  the  Godhead,  equal  in 
wisdom,  equal  in  power,  and  equal  in  glory ;  yet  not 


SO  Christ's  measureless  love. 

three  Gods — only  one !  And  as  he  tried  in  vain  to 
understand  it,  he  saw  before  him  on  the  shore  a  little 
child,  holding  in  its  hand  a  coloured  sea-shell,  scoop- 
ing a  hole  in  the  sand,  running  to  the  waves,  filling  it 
with  water,  returning  to  the  hole,  and  emptying  it. 
"  What  are  you  doing,  child  ?"  said  Augustine.  "  I  am 
going,"  said  the  child,  "to  pour  the  sea  into  this  hole!" 
Ah,  thought  Augustine,  it  is  the  very  thing  I  have 
been  trying  to  do — standing  on  the  shore  of  time,  by 
the  ocean  of  the  infinite  and  eternal  Godhead,  and  try- 
ing to  comprehend  that  Godhead  with  my  little  mind ! 
And  the  love  of  Jesus  is  such  an  unsearchable  ocean, 
without  bottom  or  bounds, — therefore  wonder  and 
adore,  but  think  not  to  discover  the  cause  of  the  love 
of  Christ,  which  "  passeth  knowledge." 

II.  Let  me  ask  you,  in  the  second  place,  Can  you 
ever  know  the  beginning  of  the  love  of  Jesus  ?  If  you 
think  you  can,  just  try  to  find  it  out.  You  may  trace 
back  the  love  of  Jesus  for  eighteen  hundred  years,  to 
the  cross  of  Calvary,  and  say,  "  Then  He  first  loved  us." 
But,  no  ;  He  loved  us  before  then  !  You  may  trace  it 
back  six  thousand  years,  to  the  time  when  He  walked 
with  Adam  and  Eve  in  the  garden  of  Eden,  and  say, 
"  Then  He  first  loved  us."  But  we  tell  you  He  loved 
us  before  then !  You  may  trace  back  His  love,  from 
ase  to  a^e,  to  the  time  when  first,  moving  in  darkness 
over  the  face  of  the  silent  deep,  He  spake  those  words 
which  called  from  the  womb  of  night  the  new-born  day, 
and  say,  "  Then  He  first  loved  us/'  But  we  tell  you 
He  loved  us  before  then  !     You  may  then  trace  back 


CHRIST'S  MEASURELESS  LOVE.  31 

the  love  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  a  stretch  of 
thought,  to  that  time  when  in  heaven  He  formed  the 
very  first  living  angel,  and  say,  "  Then  He  first  loved 
as/'  But  we  tell  you  He  loved  us  before  then ! 
Now  you  cannot  go  further  back  than  that ;  you  have 
no  data  for  doiii*  so.  You  do  not  know  what  was 
before  that.  What  can  you  do  ?  Who  shall  tell  me 
now  the  beginning  of  the  love  of  Jesus  Christ  1 

This  golden  vein  of  Christ's  love  goes  down  so  deep, 
that  were  you  to  dig  into  gone-by  ages  for  ever  you 
could  not  reach  the  bottom  !  I  solemnly  believe  it — 
this  mighty  river  of  the  love  of  Christ,  ere  it  rolled 
through  sixty  centuries,  rose  among  the  hills  of  heaven, 
flowing  from  that  deep  fountain  the  heart  of  God, 
havinsr  been  embosomed  there  who  can  tell  how  lone;? 
Surely  none.  For  as  you  can  never  know  the  begin- 
ning of  eternity,  so  you  can  never  know  the  beginning 
of  the  love  of  Christ,  which  was  from  eternity !  For 
one  good  reason  you  can  never  know  its  beginning — it 
never  had  a  beginning !  for  it  is  written,  "  I  have 
loved  thee  with  an  everlasting  love,  therefore  with 
cords  of  loving-kindness  have  I  drawn  thee." 

III.  Shall  we  be  more  successful  in  discovering  the 
greatness  of  the  love  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  sin- 
ners ?  Never  !  for  in  this,  too,  it  "  passeth  knowledge." 
Often  in  climbing  a  high  mountain,  the  higher  you  get, 
the  higher  the  mountain  seems  to  rise.  You  reach  a 
lofty  ridge,  and  lo,  a  gigantic  stretch  of  still  higher 
crags  looms  down  upon  you.  You  climb  the  winding 
pith  up  the  rough  side  to  the  top,  and  lo   the  snow- 


52  CHRIST'S  MEASURELESS  LOVE. 

white  peaks  still  soar  up  above  you.  You  ascend,  and 
stand  at  last  far  up  in  heaven  on  a  higher  reach,  and 
lo,  the  lonely  summit  still  looks  down  upon  you  through 
a  rent  in  its  gray  veil  of  clouds  ! 

The  love  of  Christ  is  magnificent  in  greatness  as 
a  mighty  mountain.  Climb  from  Gethsemane  to 
Calvary,  and  from  Calvary  to  Heaven — and  it  is  still 
above  you !  And  the  strongest  angel  might  ascend 
eternally  without  reaching  its  still  ever-distant  summit. 

Now,  settle  this  down  in  your  mind,  saint  of  God — 
you  never  can  tell  how  much  Christ  loves  you  !  That 
is  what  I  want  to  impress  upon  your  inmost  heart. 
Oh,  think  of  it  day  and  night — You  never  can  tell 
how  much  Christ  loves  you!  Why,  I  tell  you,  that 
even  in  a  devoted  mother's  heart  there  are,  far  down, 
depths  of  love  which  it  takes  all  the  sorrow,  and  care, 
and  trial  of  years  to  bring  up  to  light.  And  down 
far  in  the  heart  of  Christ  there  are  depths  of  love 
which  His  wondrous  sorrows  have  brought  up  to 
light,  that  might  have  been,  but  for  these,  for  ever 
hidden.  Who  could  have  told  that  He  so  loved  us 
as  to  be  willing  to  drink  the  cup  of  the  wrath  of 
God  for  us,  had  not  Gethsemane  revealed  it?  Who 
could  have  told  that  He  so  loved  us  as  to  be 
willing  to  wrap  about  us  His  arms,  and  cover  us 
with  His  living  body,  that  He  might  save  us  from 
the  heavy  scourge  of  God,  had  not  His  torture  at 
Pilate's  Pillar  revealed  it?  Who  could  have  told  us 
that  He  so  loved  us  as  to  be  willing  to  bow  His 
head,   and   bear  a  load   of   shame,   and    scorn,   and 


Christ's  measureless  love.  S3 

hatred,  such  as  never  was  borne  before,  that  he 
might  save  us  from  "  everlasting  contempt,"  had  not 
that  mournful,  memorable  night  before  the  crucifixion 
revealed  it?  And  who  could  have  told  that  He  so 
loved  us  as  to  be  willing  for  our  sakes  to  pour  out 
His  heart  and  soul,  and  to  struggle  alone  in  darkness 
with  the  sorrows  of  death  and  the  pains  of  hell,  had 
not  the  cross  of  Calvary  revealed  it  ?  Not  even  this 
did  exhaust  His  love.  His  body  fainted,  but  His  love 
never  fainted.  His  soul  sunk,  and  His  heart  broke, 
but  His  love  could  not  die.  It  was  stronger  than 
the  pains  of  death  and  hell,  for  it  conquered  them  ! 
Oh,  here  is  love  that  passeth  knowledge !  Oh  to  know 
more,  and  more,  and  more,  and  more,  and  evermore 
more  of  it ! 

And  here  we  are  lost !  I  confess  I  cannot  under- 
stand even  the  greatness  of  that  love  which  led  Jesus 
to  do  what  He  has  done  for  us  on  earth ;  but  this  is 
only  part  of  all  He  does  for  us.  Oh,  when  shall  I 
know  how  much  He  loves  me?  When  He  raises  me 
from  the  dark  grave,  and  changes  my  vile  body  into 
the  image  of  His  glorious  body,  shall  I  know  it  fully? 
Oh,  no !  When  He  acquits  me  of  guilt  before  the 
universe,  and  confesses  my  name  before  God  and 
angels,  and  calls  me  blessed,  shall  I  know  it  fully? 
Oh,  no  !  When  He  takes  me  to  Himself,  and  wipes 
my  tears  away,  and  transports  me  to  the  third  heaven, 
and  walks  with  me  "in  white,"  shall  I  know  it  fully? 
Oh,  no  !  If  I  am  His,  He  loves  me  more  than  tongue 
can  tell,  or  heart  can  wish,  or  mind  conceive;  and 
c 


34  Christ's  measureless  love. 

my  love  to  Him,  when   compared  with  His  to  me, 
will  always  be  as  a  drop  to  the  ocean. 

'•  Were  the  -whole  realm  of  nature  mine, 
That  were  a  present  far  too  small ; 
Love  so  amazing,  so  divine, 
Demands  my  life,  my  soul,  my  all." 

IV.  And  now,  none  can  ever  know  all  the  tender- 
ness of  the  love  of  Christ.  When  Christ  stands  over 
a  sinner's  wounded  soul  on  the  battle-field,  to  defend 
Him  from  death  and  hell,  His  love  nerves  Him  with 
omnipotence ;  but  oh,  when  He  has  driven  death  and 
hell  away,  and  stoops  down  to  bind  up  the  sinner's 
broken  heart,  love  unmans  Him  who  is  more  than 
man,  and  His  hands  tremble,  and  His  tears  fall 
Do  any  dare  to  offend  one  of  His  little  ones?  He 
rebukes,  and  love  makes  His  voice  terrible  as  the 
sound  of  thunder.  Is  that  little  one  affrighted  ?  He 
speaks,  and  love  makes  His  voice  tender  as  the  sound 
of  tremulous,  unearthly  music. 

What  mother  ever  was  so  tender  to  her  first-born 
child  as  Jesus  is  to  His  little  ones?  Does  He  not 
take  them  in  His  arms,  and  carry  them  in  His  bosom  ? 
How  tenderly  he  sometimes  takes  away  the  soul  of  a 
new-born  infant  from  this  world  of  sin  and  sorrow! 
How  tenderly  He  stills  the  little  throbbing  heart,  and 
hushes  the  tremulous  faint  cry,  and  wipes  away  the 
swelling  tear,  and  draws  down  the  half-closed  eye-lids, 
and  takes  the  fluttering  spirit  to  His  bosom,  and 
carries  it  to  heaven  !  0  sweet  Jesus  !  It  was  with 
that  tenderness  of  love  Thou  didst  say  to  a  widowed, 


chfjst's  measureless  love.  35 

bereaved  woman,  "Weep  not!"  It  was  with  that 
tenderness  of  love  Thou  didst  weep  Thyself,  with 
Mary  and  Martha,  at  the  grave  where  Lazarus  was 
lying  in  the  sleep  of  death.  It  was  with  that  tender- 
ness of  love  Thou  didst,  at  the  last  supper,  draw  John 
to  Thy  bosom,  and  say,  ere  Thy  departure,  to  Thy 
sorrowing  disciples,  "  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled 
— I  will  come  again,  and  receive  you  unto  myself, 
that  where  I  am  there  ye  may  be  also."  It  was 
with  that  tenderness  of  love  Thou  didst,  when  be- 
trayed in  dark  and  sorrowful  Gethsemane,  plead  for 
Thy  disciples  with  Thine  enemies,  and  say,  "  Let  these 
go  their  way."  It  was  with  that  tenderness  of  love 
Thou  didst  look  on  a  poor,  sinning  Peter,  who  had 
denied  Thee,  till  the  tears  filled  his  eyes,  and  he  went 
out  and  wept  bitterly.  It  was  with  that  tenderness 
of  love  Thou  didst,  when  dying,  commit  Thy  heart- 
broken mother  to  John,  and  say  to  him,  "  Behold  thy 
mother."  And  it  was  with  that  tenderness  of  love 
Thou  didst,  when  hoarse  with  the  thirst  and  torment 
of  crucifixion,  plead  with  God  for  Thy  very  murderers, 
and  cry,  "Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not 
what  they  do." 

0  my  brethren,  Christ  Himself  could  not  express 
by  His  words,  and  prayers,  and  tears,  and  cries,  all 
the  tenderness  of  His  love.  No  wonder  that  we 
should  find  it  inexpressible  ! 

0  Lord  Jesus !  Thou  art  more  than  Saviour  to 
Thy  people.  Thy  tenderness  of  love  makes  Thee 
their  Comforter.     How  often  when  walking  in  dark- 


36  cheist's  measureless  love. 

ness  have  we  heard  Thy  voice  saying  to  us,  "  Pear  not ; 
I  am  with  you!"  How  often,  when  lying  down  to 
slumber,  have  we  felt  Thee  breathe  upon  us  Thy  sweet 
blessing,  and  heard  Thee  say,  "  Peace  be  to  you ! " 
How  often,  when  waking  at  midnight,  have  we  seen 
Thee  standing  by  us,  and  heard  Thee  whisper,  "Even 
the  hairs  of  your  head  are  all  numbered !  "  And  do  we 
not  hear  Thy  voice  still  always  saying,  "  I  will  never 
leave  you  nor  forsake  you ! "  0  most  tender  Jesus  ! 
"  there  is  none  on  earth  to  be  compared  to  Thee/'  and 
none  in  heaven.  Never  was  love  like  Thine.  Thou 
art  "  The  Lamb  of  God."  Thou  art  "  The  Husband" 
of  Thy  people.     Thy  love  "  passeth  knowledge." 

V.  Never  can  we  fully  know  the  immutability  of  the 
love  of  Christ.  What  is  there  in  the  universe  but  God 
that  hath  not  changed,  either  for  the  better  or  for  the 
worse  ?  Search  and  see,  and  you  shall  find  that  God 
alone  is  immutable ;  God  alone  hath  u  no  shadow  of 
turning."  Now,  the  love  which  we  speak  of  is  not 
simply  human,  but  human  and  divine ;  therefore  it  is, 
like  God,  "the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for  ever/' 
Some  dare  to  deny  this,  but  we  can  defy  them  all  to 
prove  that  Christ's  love  has  ever  changed  in  the  very 
least  degree  toward  any  on  whom  He  has  set  it. 
Mark,  there  is  a  difference  between  the  love  of  pity 
and  the  love  of  complacency.  I  can  easily  prove  from 
Scripture  that  God  loves  all  men  with  the  love  of 
pity ;  but  none  can  prove  that  He  loves  all  men  with 
the  love  of  complacency.  In  this  the  Bible  is  our  only 
boo];  of  reference,  and  from  that  none  can  prove  that 


CHRIST'S  MEASURELESS  LOVE.  37 

Christ  ever  changes,  while  all  may  learn  that  Christ 
never  changes.  "I  am  the  Lord,  /  change  not ;  there- 
fore ye  sons  of  Jacob  are  not  consumed." 

Oh,  what  grandeur  there  is  in  such  immutable  love ! 
What  is  it  like  unto?  Not  to  the  sea,  for  that  doth 
smile  or  frown  as  sunshine  or  shadows  sweep  over  it, 
and  doth  murmur  or  roar  as  the  winds  roughen  it, 
or  roll  it  into  raging  billows ;  but  to  a  mighty  moun- 
tain, whose  white  summit  stands  far  up  in  heaven. 
Down  below,  snows  are  falling,  and  then  melting; 
clouds  are  brightening,  and  then  darkening ;  thunders 
are  sleeping,  and  then  echoing.  But  above,  all  is  calm, 
still — the  same  for  ever.  Oh,  I  glory  in  such  im- 
mutable love ! 

It  is  easy  to  change  the  love  of  man.  A  little 
unkindness  will  sometimes  do  it.  But  not  all  the 
unkindness  in  the  power  of  man  to  shew  can  change 
the  love  of  Christ.  Time  can  change  our  affection  for 
others  into  indifference  ;  but  not  all  the  ages  of  eternity 
can  abate  anything  of  the  fervency  of  Christ's  love. 
Peter — whom  Christ  called  to  be  an  apostle — delivered 
from  death,  and  saved  from  hell — who  saw  Christ 
walking  in  power  on  the  waves  of  Galilee,  transfigured 
in  glory  on  the  summit  of  Tabor,  and  travailing  in 
sorrow  in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane — thrice,  with 
oaths  and  curses,  denied  his  Lord.  But  did  Christ 
change  towards  him  ?  Ah,  no  !  He  prayed  for  him, 
and  freely  forgave  him  all.  And  we,  too,  change  to- 
wards Jesus  every  day ;  our  love  is  always  ebbing  and 
flowing ;  but  His  is  still  the  same  to  us — 


38  ciifjst's  measureless  love. 

"Often  I  feel  my  sinful  heart 
Prone  from  my  Saviour  to  depart; 
But  though  I  have  Him  oft  forgot, 
His  loving-kindness  changes  not." 

The  mother  that  bore  me  may  forget  me,  but  the 
Saviour  who  died  for  me  never  can.  Sooner  will  He 
forget  Himself: — 

"  Can  a  woman's  tender  care 
Cease  toward  the  child  she  bare  f 
Yes,  she  may  forgetful  be, 
Yet  will  I  remember  thee  !  " 

0  Christian !  here  is  a  rock  for  thy  feet,  and  a  staff 
for  thy  hand,  and  a  pillow  for  thy  head,  and  a  song 
for  thy  lips,  and  a  hope  for  thy  heart,  and  a  rest  for 
thy  soul — Christ's  immutable  love  ! 

"  Mine  is  an  unchanging  love, 
Higher  than  the  heights  above, 
Deeper  than  the  depths  beneath, 
Free  and  faithful,  firm  as  death." 

VI.  Now,  as  to  the  value  of  the  love  of  Christ 
The  same  thing  is  often  differently  valued  by  different 
persons.  Sometimes  one  man  cares  little  or  nothing 
about  what  another  values  highly.  Too  often  we  esteem 
what  is  worthless  more  than  what  is  precious,  and  give 
the  precious  in  exchange  for  the  worthless.  Did  not 
Esau  sell  his  birthright  for  a  mess  of  pottage  ?  Did 
not  Judas  sell  his  Master  for  thirty  pieces  of  silver? 
And  have  not  thousands  sold  heaven  for  this  world  ? 
Alas  for  man's  ignorance  !  He  knows  but  little  about 
the  true  value  of  anything.     Who  knows  the  value  of 


CHRIST'S  MEASURELESS  LOVE.  39 

health  till  hd  loses  it  ?  Who  knows  the  value  of  life 
till  it  is  gone  ?  And  who  can  tell  the  value  of  the  love 
of  Christ  till  it  is  lost  for  ever? 

Ah,  me !  that  men  should  despise  God's  gifts  because 
they  are  so  common  ;  and  Christ's  love  because  it  is  so 
free.  If  man's  noblest  work  is  not  to  be  conrpared  with 
God's  lowliest  work, — if  Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was 
not  to  be  compared  with  one  of  God's  lilies,  surely 
man's  love  is  not  to  be  compared  with  Christ's  love, 
surely  man's  warmest,  strongest,  highest  love  is  nought, 
when  compared  with  Christ's  least  affection.  Oh,  why 
will  you  any  longer  overvalue  the  love  of  your  fellow- 
men,  and  undervalue  the  love  of  the  Lord  Jesus  ? 

Consider  now — What  is  Christ's  love  really  worth  ? 
First  tell  me  what  Christ  is  worth  Himself,  and  then 
you  may  be  able  better  to  tell  me  what  His  love  is 
worth ;  for  as  sure  as  heaven  is  above  earth,  he  that 
has  Christ's  love  as  his  own,  has  Christ  also. 

Surely  the  love  of  Christ  is  all  we  need.  The  love 
of  Christ  is  a  sweet  cure  for  every  disease  of  man  !  A 
deep  fountain  from  which  all  blessings  of  grace  flow 
out !  A  great  treasury  in  which  all  heaven  is  hid ! 
And  a  broad  ocean  of  life  and  glory  everlasting !  So 
precious  is  it,  that  all  the  riches  of  time  and  eternity 
cannot  purchase  it ;  yet  so  free,  that  the  poorest  child 
that  ever  breathed  may  have  it.  So  precious  is  it,  that 
all  the  pains  of  poverty,  misery,  and  damnation  cannot 
merit  it ;  yet  so  free,  that  the  vilest  sinner  that  ever 
wept  in  penitence  may  receive  it.  A  king  of  empires 
without  this  love  is  poorer  than  a  beggar  with  it ;  and 


4.-0  Christ's  measureless  love. 

a  beggar  with  it  is  richer  than  an  angel  without  it. 
Whoever  has  this  love,  has  everything;  whoever  has 
not  this  love,  has  nothing.  Surely,  its  value  "  passeth 
knowledge." 

VII.  Lastly,  you  can  never. know  the  end  of  the 
love  of  Christ.  All  things  earthly  have  their  end. 
Death  blights  the  flowers  of  summer  with  the  breath 
of  autumn,  and  buries  them  in  the  grave  of  winter ; 
they  have  their  end.  Death  cuts  short  our  few  hours 
of  light  and  shadow  with  sunset,  and  carries  us  away 
in  darkness  ;  we  have  our  end. 

But  beyond  !  there  is  no  death  !  Hell  is  not  death, 
but  is  the  grave  where  sin  and  misery  are  buried  to- 
gether alive  ;  and  heaven  is  not  death,  but  is  the  temple 
where  holiness  and  joy  rest  by  the  river  of  life  ever- 
lasting. And  is  the  love  of  Jesus  everlasting  ?  Ever- 
lasting ?  What !  has  it  no  end  ?  JSro  end  ?  No  end  ? 
Is  one  !  Great  God !  this  "  passeth  knowledge."  Great 
God !  oh,  teach  me  this ;  for  ever  teach  me  this ;  for 
ever  teach  me  this  ;  for  ever.     Amen. 

I  close.  Christian,  put  on  this  easy  yoke — "  the  love 
of  Christ  constraineth  us/'  Oh,  carry  this  light  bur- 
den— this  winged  burden ;  carry  it,  and  it  shall  carry 
thee  !  "  The  love  of  Christ  constraineth  us  ! "  Let  it 
take  off  your  chains,  and  make  you  a  slave  for  life. 
Let  it  constrain  you  against  your  will,  and  with  your 
will.  Let  it  be  deadly  poison  to  your  sins,  and  strong 
food  to  your  soul.  Let  it  slay  you  daily,  and  keep  you 
alive  for  ever.     "  The  love  of  Christ  constraineth  us." 

Unforgiven  sinner !  may  I  say  a  word  to  you  ?    Christ 


Christ's  measureless  love.  41 

says,  "  Wheresoever  the  carcase  is,  there  will  the  eagles 
be  gathered  together/'  Now  mark  !  Wheresoever  the 
crime  is,  there  will  the  curses  be  gathered  together ;  and 
wherever  the  crime  of  crimes  is,  there  will  the  curse  of 
curses  hover  over.  You  ask,  "  What  is  the  crime  of 
crimes,  to  which  God  binds  the  curse  of  curses  ? "  Let 
God  Himself  answer  you — "  If  any  man  love  not  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  let  him  be  ANATHEMA  MARAN-ATHA !" 
I  dare  not  add  anything  but,  "Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved" 


SEKMON  IIL 


THE  THREE  CROSSES. 

Luke  xxiii.  39-43. 

"And  one  of  the  malefactors  which  were  hanged  railed  on  him, 
saying,  If  thou  be  Christ,  save  thyself  and  us.  But  the  other 
answering  rebuked  him,  saying,  Dost  not  thou  fear  God,  seeing 
thou  art  in  the  same  condemnation?  And  we  indeed  justly ; 
for  we  receive  the  due  reward  of  our  deeds  :  but  this  man 
hath  done  nothing  amiss.  And  he  said  unto  Jesus,  Lord,  re- 
member me  when  thou  comest  into  thy  kingdom.  And  Jesus 
said  unto  him,  Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  To-day  shalt  thou  bo 
with  me  in  paradise." 

The  history  of  Jesus'  life  on  earth  is  from  first  to  last 
a  history  of  humiliations.  If  I  were  to  ask  you  where 
He  was  laid  when  born,  you  would  be  right  in  answer- 
ing, in  a  manger  at  Bethlehem.  If  I  were  to  ask  you 
where  He  was  brought  up,  you  would  be  right  in  answer- 
ing, in  a  workshop  at  Nazareth.  If  I  were  to  ask  you 
with  whom  He  most  frequently  sat  down  to  eat,  you 
would  be  right  in  answering,  with  publicans  and  sinners. 
If  I  were  to  ask  you  with  whom  He  travelled  through 
the  land  of  Judea,  you  would  be  right  in  answering, 
with  a  few  illiterate  fishermen     If  I  were  to  ask  you 


THE  THREE  CROSSES.  43 

among  whom  His  chief  success  was,  in  preaching  the 
gospel,  you  would  be  right  in  answering,  chiefly  among 
the  poor.  On  every  page  of  His  history,  whether  the 
page  be  blotted  with  tears,  or  dark  with  sorrow,  or 
crimson  with  blood,  those  words  are  written,  "He 
humbled  Himself/'  Ah,  my  brethren !  it  was  an 
awful  humiliation  for  Him  whose  right  arm  is  the  right 
arm  of  God,  to  be  bound  before  the  judgment-seat  of 
injustice  ;  but  Christ  endured  greater  humiliation  than 
that.  It  was  an  awful  humiliatii^i  for  Him  whose  eye 
at  once  surveys  all  the  brightness  of  heaven  in  its 
height  and  glory,  and  all  the  breadth  of  earth  and  of 
the  universe,  and  all  the  depths  of  hell,  down  through 
its  thickest  shades  of  horror ;  it  was  an  awful  humilia- 
tion for  Him  to  be  blindfolded  by  wretched  mortals ; 
but  Christ  endured  a  greater  humiliation  than  that.  It 
was  an  awful  humiliation  for  Him  who  at  that  great 
day  is  to  judge  the  wicked,  and  send  them  down  to 
dwell  with  Satan  in  darkness  everlasting,  to  be  con- 
demned at  the  bar  of  Pilate,  and  hurried  away  to  exe- 
cution ;  but  Christ  endured  a  greater  humiliation  than 
that.  It  was  an  awful  humiliation  for  Him  who  holds 
the  rod  of  vengeance,  to  be  bound  to  a  pillar  by  Pilate, 
and  scourged  with  twisted  thongs  of  leather,  until  the 
blood  streamed  down  His  sides,  a  gory  river;  but  Christ 
endured  a  greater  humiliation  than  that.  It  was  an 
awful  humiliation  for  Him  who  wears  the  crown  of 
glory  in  heaven,  to  be  crowned  with  thorns.  Why 
thorns?  Because,  when  God  cursed  the  ground  on 
man's  account,  he  condemned  it  to  bring  forth  thorns, 


44  THE  THEEE  CROSSES. 

and  therefore,  with  the  thorns  of  the  curse  was  Christ 
crowned ;  but  he  endured  a  greater  humiliation  than 
that ;  for  oh,  he  endured  the  cross,  dying  in  shame 
and  sorrow,  between  two  thieves  on  Calvary !  Oh,  my 
friends,  we  have  too  many  of  us  wrong  views  of  the 
cross  !  In  the  present  day  it  is  emblazoned  in  gold 
upon  the  backs  of  our  Bibles,  is  worn  round  the  necks 
of  many  as  an  amulet,  and  stands  glittering  in  the 
heavens  on  the  spires  of  churches  ;  but  in  old  times  it 
was  a  thing  despised  and  abhorred.  Is  the  gallows 
held  in  abhorrence  among  us  ?  Much  more  so  was  the 
cross  among  the  Jews.  But  the  Lord  Jesus  bowed  His 
head  to  it,  despising  all  the  shame  ;  yea,  He  "  who  was 
in  the  form  of  God,  and  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be 
equal  with  God,  took  upon  him  the  form  of  a  servant, 
and  was  made  in  the  likeness  of  men  ;  and  being  found 
in  fashion  as  a  man,  he  humbled  himself,  and  became 
obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross. 
"Wherefore  God  hath  highly  exalted  him,  and  hath 
given  him  a  name  which  is  above  every  name :  that 
at  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of  things 
in  heaven,  and  things  in  earth,  and  things  under  the 
earth" — for  all  the  hosts  of  heaven,  earth,  and  hell, 
must  bow  before  Him — "  and  every  tongue  confess  that 
Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father''' 
(Phil.  ii.  6-1  >). 

Now  the  passage  which  we  have  taken  this  evening, 
brings  us  to  this  dark  scene  of  humiliation.  We  read 
in  the  twenty-third  chapter  of  the  Gospel  of  Luke,  in 
the  twenty-sixth  verse,  that  "  as  they  led  him  away, 


THE  THREE  CROSSES.  45 

they  laid  hold  upon  one  Simon,  a  Cyrenian,  coming  out 
of  the  country,  and  on  him  they  laid  the  cross,  that  he 
might  bear  it  after  Jesus.  And  there  followed  him  a 
great  company  of  people,  and  of  women,  which  also  be- 
wailed and  lamented  him.  But  Jesus  turning  unto 
them  said,  Daughters  of  Jerusalem,  weep  not  for  me, 
but  w7eep  for  yourselves,  and  for  your  children."  Ah  ! 
there  was  love  and  majesty  in  these  words.  "  Wee}) 
not  for  me,"  saith  Christ ;  "  your  tears  do  pain  me." 
"  Weep  not  for  me,  for  I  am  above  your  tears.  You 
think  me  in  the  power  of  mine  enemies  ;  but  no  !  twelve 
legions  of  angels  stand  within  call.  I  lay  down  my 
life  of  myself ;  none  take  it  from  me  ;  but  if  I  delivered 
myself  from  these,  how  should  the  Scriptures  be  ful- 
filled ?  You  think  that  my  life  has  come  to  a  miser- 
able end  ;  I  tell  you  this  is  but  the  beginning  of  brighter 
thing-."  "  Weep  not  for  me,"  saith  Jesus  ;  "  but  wipe 
not  your  tears  away — wreep  on,  '  wreep  for  yourselves, 
and  for  your  children ;  for,  behold,  the  days  are  coming, 
in  the  which  they  shall  say,  Blessed  are  the  barren,  and 
the  wombs  that  never  bare,  and  the  paps  which  never 
gave  suck.  Then  shall  they  begin  to  say  to  the  moun- 
tains, Fall  on  us,  and  to  the  hills,  Cover  us  ;  for  if  they 
do  these  things  in  the  green  tree,  what  shall  be  done  in 
the  dry?'  If  they  take  me,  Christ  Jesus,  the  green 
tree,  whose  roots  grow  by  the  river  of  life,  whose 
branches  stretch  abroad  to  shelter  the  world,  whose 
leaves  flourish  for  the  healing  of  the  nations,  and 
whose  fruits  ripen  for  the  life  of  millions ;  if  they 
have  laid  the  axe  to  my  roots — if  I  am  cut  up  and 


46  THE  THREE  CROSSES. 

consumed,  what  shall  be  done  in  the  dry?  What  of 
those  who  are  leafless  ?  What  of  those  who  are  fruit- 
less ?  What  of  those  who  are  lifeless  ?  ■  What  shall 
be  done  in  the  dry?'" 

We  read  there  were  also  two  other  malefactors  con- 
demned with  Him.  If  you  turn  to  one  of  the  other 
evangelists,  you  will  find  it  is  said  that  both  of  them 
railed  upon  Him.  They  had  left  Jerusalem  for  the  last 
time  ;  and  the  last  time  had  looked  upon  its  temple,  and 
passed  through  its  gates,  and  bid  farewell  to  their  com- 
panions ;  and  were  being  led  away  to  execution.  What 
were  their  feelings  in  that  hour?  Perhaps  they  looked 
round  them,  turning  their  eyes  hither  and  thither  to  see 
if  there  was  any  chance  of  escape  ;  but  there  was  none. 
The  soldiers  were  about  them  on  every  side — the  holes 
were  dug  for  the  crosses — their  hours  were  numbered, 
and  their  miserable  spirits  about  to  depart  from  a 
world  of  sin  they  had  helped  to  defile,  to  a  world  of 
woe  and  torment  everlasting.  At  length  they  came  to 
Calvary,  and  we  read,  "When  they  were  come  to  the 
place  which  is  called  Calvary,  there  they  crucified  Him." 
"There" — on  Calvary — "they" — the  murderers — "cru- 
cified"— nailed  to  the  cross — "Him" — the  Son  of  God, 
and  the  Saviour.  There  they  stripped  Him — oh,  horrid 
indignity ! — tore  from  His  feet  those  sandals,  once  wet 
with  the  waves  of  Galilee,  and  stained  with  weary  travel 
— bent  Him  down  on  the  cross,  and  drove  through  His 
sacred  hands  and  feet  the  iron  nails,  and  lifted  Him  up 
bewecn  earth  and  heaven,  a  spectacle  of  love  and  glory 
in  robes  of  shame  and  sorrow  !     "  There  they  crucified 


THE  THREE  CROSSES.  47 

Him,  and  the  malefactors,  one  on  the  right  hand,  and 
the  other  on  the  left."  Then  said  Jesus — Father,  de- 
stroy them?  Nay.  Father,  consume  them?  Nay. 
But  "Father,  forgive  them,"  said  Jesus.  Ah!  wonder- 
ful! wonderful!  wonderful  words!  Who  can  understand 
such  love  ?  They  are  my  murderers,  but  oh !  forgive 
them  ;  they  have  pierced  my  hands  and  feet,  but  oh ! 
forgive  them.  I  came  to  tell  them  of  Thy  love,  and 
they  have  crucified  me,  but  oh!  forgive  them,  "for" 
— and  here  He  pleads  for  them — "  they  know  not  what 
they  do."  Their  eyes  are  blinded,  and  my  glory  covered 
— "  they  know  not  what  they  do/'  O  sinner !  in  re- 
jecting Jesus,  you  know  not  what  you  do ;  but  God 
forgive  you.  "  And  they  parted  his  raiment,  and  cast 
lots,"  fulfilling  the  Scriptures.  "  And  the  people  stood 
beholding,  and  the  rulers  also  with  them  derided  him, 
saying,  He  saved  others ;  let  him  save  himself,  if  he 
be  Christ,  the  chosen  of  God.  And  the  soldiers  also 
mocked  him,  coming  to  him,  and  offering  him  vinegar, 
and  saying,  If  thou  be  the  King  of  the  Jews,  save  thy- 
self. And  a  superscription  also  was  written  over  him 
in  letters  of  Greek,  and  Latin,  and  Hebrew,  This  is  the 
King  of  the  Jews.  And  one  of  the  malefactors  which 
were  hanged  railed  on  him,  saying,  If  thou  be  Christ, 
save  thyself  and  us.  But  the  other  answering  rebuked 
him,  saying,  Dost  not  thou  fear  God,  seeing  thou  art  in 
the  same  condemnation?"  What  a  dark  disclosure  have 
we  here  of  the  heart's  hatred  to  holiness.  One  of  the 
malefactors,  after  hearing  Christ's  last  words  of  awful 
warning,  the  last  He  uttered  on  earth — a  prelude  to  the 


48  THE  THREE  CROSSES. 

"  Depart,  ye  cursed  " — and  His  tender  prayers  for  His 
murderers ;  after  gazing  upon  Him  and  seeing  in  His 
looks  the  pains  of  hell  and  the  peace  of  heaven  to- 
gether ! — oh,  heart-rending  mystery  of  sorrow  ! — he  rails 
on  Him — rails  on  Him — and  tries  to  pour  scalding  in- 
sult on  His  bleeding  wounds  of  agony.  Oh,  earth,  earth, 
why  dost  thou  not  quake  and  swallow  us  up  alive? 
Why  should  miserable  men,  more  vile  than  worms,  and 
venomous  than  vipers,  be  suffered  any  longer  to  live  ? 
Why  should  that  filthy  fountain,  the  human  heart,  be 
suffered  to  issue  its  black  blasphemies  in  streams  of 
putrid  poison  any  longer?  Oh,  God's  forbearance! 
Hearken  !  "  If  Thou  be  Christ — Thou  sayest  Thou  art 
— Thou  who  dost  talk  about  judgment  to  come,  who 
askest  forgiveness  for  those  who  crucify  Thee,  come 
down,  save  Thyself,  and  us."  Mark  that,  " and  us" 
What  says  the  other  ?  He  turns  to  rebuke  him.  The 
mighty  power  of  God's  Spirit  hath  changed  him,  and  is 
still  working  in  him  ;  and  now  hear  him.  "  Dost  not 
thou  fear  God,"  seeing  that  thou  hast  broken  all  His 
commandments,  and  art  about  to  stand  before  Him  in 
judgment  ?  "  Dost  not  thou  fear  God,"  seeing  that  this 
on  whom  you  rail  is  His  Son  ?  "  Dost  not  thou  fear 
God,"  seeing  thou  art  in  the  hands  of  Satan,  and  doomed 
to  death  as  well  as  He  ?  "  and  ice  indeed  are  condemned 
justly,  but  this  man  hath  done  nothing  amiss."  He 
here  exonerates  the  Lord  Jesus.  Oh,  how  all  who 
have  ever  known  Him,  shall  join  to  declare  His  purity ! 
The  centurion  cries,  "  Surely  this  is  the  Son  of  God." 
Pilate  washed  his  hands  from  His  blood — a  dying  thief 


THE  THREE  CROSSES.  49 

declares  "this  man  hath  done  nothing  amiss;"  and 
Jesus  looks  round  upon  His  enemies,  and  says,  "  Which 
of  you  convinceth  me  of  sin  ?"  Here  is  comfort  for  the 
Christian — Christ  was  innocent.  Therefore  the  cross 
He  carried  was  not  His  own  but  thine.  Here  is  teach- 
ing for  the  Christian.  You  say  His  hand  is  sometimes 
heavy  upon  you ;  but  remember  Jesus  does  nothing 
amiss.  Though  He  was  chastened,  He  did  nothing 
amiss ;  and  though  He  chastens  me,  He  does  nothing 
amiss.  Was  He  chastened  ?  It  was  for  my  good ;  and 
does  He  chasten  me?  it  is  for  my  good — never  does 
He  anything  amiss !  Then  turning  to  Jesus,  he  said, 
Malefactor?  Nay.  Blasphemer?  Nay.  Demoniac? 
Nay.  But  "  Lord !  "  "  Lord,  remember  me,"  the 
dying  thief,  "when  thou  comest  into  thy  kingdom." 
And  what  did  Christ  answer  ?  Behold,  Christ  did  not 
answer  the  man  when  he  reviled  Him — He  was  silent ; 
but  when  he  cried  for  mercy,  He  can  be  silent  no 
more  !  0  Jesus,  Jesus !  Thou  turnest  away  silently 
in  sorrow  from  those  who  curse  Thee  ;  but  Thou  turn- 
est tenderly  in  pity  towards  those  who  cry  to  Thee. 
"  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee  ; "  and  while  the  man 
hangs  upon  His  lips,  looking  in  suspense,  he  sees  love 
burning  in  Christ's  bloodshot  eyes,  and  catches  the 
words,  "To-day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  Paradise." 
The  thief  speaks  no  more ;  for  a  while  his  soul  swims 
in  amazement,  and  then  his  heart  begins  to  burn  with 
love,  and  now  as  he  gazes  on  Jesus,  it  throbs  with 
tenderness,  and  fills  with  sorrowful  sympathy — so 
fast  it  fills,  that  it   almost   breaks — as   he   hangs  in 

D 


50  THE  THREE  CROSSES. 

silence,  forgetting  all  but  Christ.  He  sees  the  un- 
natural darkness  of  three  hours'  length  resting  on 
the  hill  of  Calvary — watches  His  dying  struggles 
with  Satan,  who  labours  to  overwhelm  Him,  now  in 
the  last  hour;  but  m  vain.  Hears  Him  cry,  "Eli, 
Eli,  lama  sabachthani  ?  "  and  with  His  last  breath, 
"  Father,  into  thy  hands  I  commend  my  spirit ; "  sees 
the  rocks  rent,  the  earth  quaking  beneath,  and  the 
darkness  rolled  away  as  a  black  scroll,  and  gazes  on 
the  still  form  of  the  dead  ;  while  angels  in  shining 
legions  rise  with  the  Saviour's  spirit  to  heaven.  Hark ! 
— "  Lift  up  your  heads,  0  ye  gates  ;  and  be  ye  lift  up, 
ye  everlasting  doors  ;  and  the  King  of  glory  shall  come 
in/'  Hark  !  "  Who  is  this  King  of  glory  ?"  Hark ! 
"The  Lord  strong  and  mighty,  the  Lord  mighty  in 
battle — He  is  the  King  of  glory."  They  enter  ;  all 
heaven  is  moved.  And  there  riseth  a  song,  loud  as 
many  waters  and  mighty  thunders,  "Worthy  the 
Lamb  ! "  Soon  the  spirit  of  the  penitent  malefactor 
follows,  borne  by  angels  into  the  presence  of  Jesus, 
and  Christ  meets  him,  and  presents  him  faultless 
before  God,  the  very  first  fruits  of  that  mighty  multi- 
tude who  have  been  saved  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb 
since  His  death  on  Calvary.  But  behold,  the  other 
thief  is  dying ;  he  breathes  out  his  shuddering  soul 
into  the  hands  of  God,  and  God  hands  him  over  to 
Satan  to  carry  to  the  pit  of  hell,  and  "  in  hell  he  lifts 
up  his  eyes,  being  in  torments."  Oh,  my  friends!  if 
this  were  only  fiction,  it  would  be  the  most  wonderful 
imagination  that  ever  crossed  the  mind   of  mortal  ! 


THE  THREE  CROSSES.  51 

But  it  is  not,  blessed  be  God.  It  is  the  truth  of  the 
living  God ;  and  we  shall  all  know  it  to  be  so,  sooner 
or  later,  believe  me.  And  oh  !  if  Satan  and  Christ, 
hell  and  heaven,  are  real,  are  real,  then  turn  ye, 
turn  ye,  lest  that  come  upon  you  spoken  by  the  pro- 
phet, "  Behold,  ye  despisers,  and  wonder,  and  perish  : 
for  I  work  a  work  in  your  days,  a  work  which  ye  shall 
in  no  wise  believe,  though  a  man  declare  it  unto  you." 
Now,  God  help  us  to  draw  certain  lessons  from  this 
most  solemn  story. 

I.  The  wages  of  sin  is  death.  If  I  were  anxious  to 
bring  this  awful  truth  vividly  before  your  minds,  I 
might  easily  send  you  to  the  hospital  or  the  dead-house, 
the  battle-field  or  the  grave-yard ;  but  nowhere  on 
this  world's  surface,  or  in  this  world's  history,  can  I 
find  this  solemn  truth  so  darkly  drawn  as  here  on  the 
hill  of  Calvary;  for  here  I  see,  in  a  threefold  manner, 
that  "  the  wages  of  sin  is  death/' 

First,  Death  to  the  sinner — the  death  of  the  body, 
and  afterwards  the  death  of  the  soul  in  hell. 

Second,  Death  to  the  Saviour,  who  knew  no  sin,  but 
bears  our  iniquities  on  the  cross. 

Third,  Death  to  the  saint;  for  though  on  him  the 
second  and  more  awful  death,  the  death  of  the  soul, 
hath  no  power,  yet  he  cannot  escape  the  death  of  the 
body  ;  for  all  saints  since  Abel  have  had  to  pass 
through  the  river  Jordan,  save  two,  Enoch  and  Elijah  ; 
and  all  the  remainder  shall  also,  save  those  who  shall 
behold  from  earth  the  second  coming  of  Jesus,  and 
be  caught  up  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air,  that  they 


52  THE  THREE  CROSSES. 

may  so  be  ever  with  the  Lord.  On  every  page  of  this 
world's  history  is  written,  "  The  wages  of  sin  is  death." 
Did  Adam  eat  forbidden  fruit  in  Eden  ?  Adam  died. 
Did  the  old  world,  his  descendants,  sin  grievously 
against  God?  God  swept  them  away  with  a  flood. 
Did  the  inhabitants  of  Sodom  defile  earth  with  abomin- 
able impurities?  God  poured  fire  upon  them.  Did 
Egypt  terribly  oppress  Israel?  God  drowned  them 
in  the  Red  Sea.  Did  Israel  commit  whoredom  and 
idolatry  in  the  wilderness?  God  slew  of  them  four- 
and-twenty  thousand.  Did  Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abi- 
ram  rebel  in  the  camp?  God  clave  the  ground  with 
an  earthquake,  and  swallowed  them  up.  Did  the  pro- 
phets of  Jezebel  sacrifice  to  Baal  ?  God  slew  them  by 
the  brook  Kishon.  Did  the  armies  of  Judah  forsake 
the  Lord?  God  slew  in  one  day  by  the  hand  of 
Pekah  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  of  them. 
Has  generation  after  generation  sinned  against  the 
Most  High?  Generation  after  generation  has  been 
cut  down  by  death.  Where  are  the  patriarchs  ?  Where 
are  the  priests?  Where  the  prophets?  Where  are 
the  apostles  ?  Where  are  earth's  captains  and  princes, 
and  conquerors  and  kings?  God  hath  carried  them 
away  "  as  with  a  flood  in  the  night."  for  "  the  wages 
of  sin  is  death."  But  pause — this  is  only  the  death 
of  the  body.  Where  are  the  souls  of  the  wicked 
dead  ?  "  Where  the  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is 
not  quenched."  For  as  the  Lord  liveth,  "the  wages 
of  sin  is  death." 

0  man  !    every  sin   you   commit  makes   miserable 


THE  THREE  CROSSES.  53 

work  for  some  one — either  suffering  for  thee,  or 
suffering  for  thy  Saviour ;  for  the  wages  must  be  paid. 
God  must  be  just ;  and  nothing  short  of  death  is  sin's 
just  recompence.  Oh  that  you  would  turn  to  Him 
whose  "gift  is  eternal  life,  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord ! " 

II.  Another  lesson  we  learn  from  this  solemn  scene 
is,  that  the  unconverted  grow  worse  and  worse.  Per- 
haps the  lost  thief  was  brought  up  by  pious  parents ; 
most  likely  he  was  taught  to  kneel  before  God  by  his 
mother,  and  was  led  up  to  the  temple,  and  heard  the 
sweet  music  echo  among  its  marble  arches,  when  the 
worshippers  sang  God's  praises.  Often  had  he  won- 
dered, and  perhaps  wept,  when  hearing  the  history  of 
Joseph,  and  Samuel,  and  Daniel.  But,  alas!  he  was 
led  away  by  little  and  little,  adding  sin  to  sin,  until 
sinning  became  a  habit,  and  habit  became  confirmed 
and  strengthened,  till  he  walked  openly  with  the  un- 
godly, stood  in  the  way  of  sinners,  and  at  last  sat  down 
in  the  seat  of  the  scorner ;  and  though  rebuked,  re- 
mained hardened,  and  went  down  a  doomed  man  to 
hell.  No  wonder  we  preach  to  you  this  day  this  truth, 
that  the  unconverted  grow  worse  and  worse.  You 
cannot  indulge  one  sin  without  opening  the  door  for 
others.  The  man  who  begins  by  walking  in  the  down- 
hill path  of  sin,  goes  on  to  running,  until  he  falls 
headlong  into  hell.  Do  you  think  that  Joseph's 
brethren,  when  they  began  a  course  of  unkindness 
to  him,  intended  to  plot  about  his  murder,  to  sell 
him  into  Egypt,  and  to  keep  up  a  lie  about  his  death 


54  THE  THREE  CROSSES. 

for  years  and  years,  bringing  their  father's  gray  hairs 
down  with  sorrow  to  the  grave?  Ah,  no!  but  the 
unconverted  grow  worse  and  worse.  Do  you  think 
that  when  Judas  first  took  up  his  cross  and  followed 
Jesus,  he  intended  to  steal  from  the  bag,  until  he 
became  a  confirmed  thief,  and  to  betray,  for  thirty 
pieces  of  silver,  and  with  a  traitorous  kiss,  the  Lord 
of  love  and  glory,  and  then  to  hang  himself,  and  go 
to  "  his  own  place/'  hell  ?  Ah,  no !  but  the  un- 
converted grow  worse  and  worse.  The  roots  of  your 
affections,  that  twine  about  the  things  of  earth,  are 
tender  enough  in  childhood,  and  you  are  easily  torn 
up  from  them,  for  you  have  no  great  strength  of  hold ; 
but  let  time  run  on,  and  these  roots  will  strike  so  deep, 
and  grow  so  strong,  that  nothing  but  a  mighty  wrench 
of  the  hand  of  God  can  tear  you  away ;  for  oh,  the 
unconverted  grow  worse  and  worse  ! 

Alas !  your  conscience  hardens  every  day.  The 
skin  of  a  child's  hand  is  so  tender  that  if  I  take  a 
feather  and  touch  it  softly,  it  will  shrink  ;  but  the 
skin  of  the  hand  of  a  labourer  is  harder ;  and  the  hoof 
of  a  horse  is  so  callous  that  I  might  take  a  red-hot 
iron  and  burn  it,  without  a  sign  of  pain.  Once  your 
conscience  was  tender  as  the  skin  of  that  child ;  then 
you  felt  the  least  word  of  reproof,  and  wept  when 
warned  of  your  danger.  But  now  it  has  grown 
harder  and  harder,  and  there  are  some  of  you  whose 
consciences  are  so  hard,  that  I  might  take  the  warm 
love  of  Jesus,  and  press  it  against  your  consciences, 
but  you  would  not  feel  it.     Yea,  I  might  take  the 


THE  THREE  CROSSES.  55 

hottest  denunciations  of  the  most  burning  wrath  of 
God,  and  press  them  against  your  consciences,  but  you 
would  not  feel;  for  your  conscience  is  now  "seared, 
as  with  a  hot  iron."  Oh,  wonderful!  There  is  no 
standing  still;  you  are  either  going  up  to  glory, 
or  going  down  to  misery ;  you  are  either  striving 
against  sin  and  Satan,  to  enter  in  at  the  strait  gate 
of  life,  or  striving  against  conscience  and  God  to 
enter  in  at  the  broad  gate  of  death.  And  it  is  easy 
work  going  down  to  hell.  Any  dead  fish  can  swim 
with  the  stream,  but  it  wants  a  living  fish  to  swim 
against  it.  It  takes  a  hard  struggle  to  breast  the 
stream  of  temptation,  and  the  rush  of  tribulation,  and 
get  clear  out  beyond  into  the  still  waters  of  peace. 
It  is  my  duty  to  warn  you,  and  I  do  it.  Hearken. 
Some  of  you,  unless  you  are  soon  converted,  may  be 
led  on  to  do  things  you  would  now  shudder  at — things 
which  prove  the  doer  to  be  reckless  of  both  conscience 
and  character.  I  solemnly  command  you  to  consider 
your  ways — in  the  name  of  God  I  do  it.  For  oh  !  you 
cannot  stand  still,  no,  not  for  an  hour ;  and,  until 
your  sins  are  forgiven,  you  only  become  worse  and 
worse. 

III.  Learn,  too,  from  Calvary,  that  there  are  none 
too  bad  to  be  forgiven.  Behold  one  whose  eyes  were 
full  of  adultery  ;  whose  throat  was  an  open  sepulchre ; 
whose  tongue  was  "  set  on  fire  of  hell ; "  whose  life 
was  a  history  of  iniquity ;  and  whose  heart  was  the 
dwelling-place  of  devils ; — caught  by  the  hand  of 
Christ,  just  as  he  is  dropping  into  the  pit,  and  carried 


56  THE  THEEE  CROSSES. 

in  the  hand  of  Christ  to  heaven !  Oh,  be  certain  that 
Jesus  can  "  save  to  the  uttermost  !  "  Art  thou  a  thief  ? 
As  the  thief  on  the  cross  was  saved,  so  mayest  thou ; 
take  heart,  and  cry  to  Jesus.  Art  thou  a  blasphemer  ? 
The  blasphemer,  Bunyan,  was  saved,  and  so  mayest 
thou ;  take  heart,  and  cry  to  Jesus.  Art  thou  a 
harlot  ?  The  harlot,  Mary,  was  saved,  and  so  mayest 
thou ;  take  heart,  and  cry  to  Jesus.  Art  thou  a 
murderer  ?  There  may  be  some  such  here ;  for  God 
knows  there  are  not  only  murders  that  never  saw  the 
light,  but  "  he  that  hateth  his  brother  is  a  murderer." 
But  oh !  the  murderer  David  was  saved,  and  so  mayest 
thou  ;  take  heart,  and  cry  to  Jesus.  Saul  of  Tarsus, 
whose  hands  were  dyed  with  the  blood  of  Stephen, 
was  washed  with  the  blood  of  Jesus.  And  I  could 
tell  you  of  many  a  poor  outcast  I  even  have  seen 
led  to  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 

I  saw,  not  long  since,  lying  on  the  bed  of  sickness 
and  death,  a  poor  outcast  woman,  whose  spirit  has 
since  departed.  She  spoke  to  this  effect  to  a  dear 
friend  of  mine  : — u  I  have  been,  not  five,  not  ten,  not 
fifteen,  but  twenty  years  living  in  open  and  loathsome 
sin ;  but  I  have  found  that  Christ  will  cast  out  none — 
no,  not  the  most  hell-deserving  sinner  who  cries  to 
Him.  And  now  I  am  dying ;  but  I  am  happy,  for 
'the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  His  Son,  cleanseth  me 
from  all  sin.'  And  when  I  am  gone,  let  these  words 
be  written  on  my  tombstone — 

"  '  So  foolish  was  I,  and  ignorant,  I  was  as  a  beast 
before   Thee.      Nevertheless   I   am    continually   with 


THE  THREE  CROSSES.  57 

Thee  :  Thou  hast  liolden  me  by  my  right  hand.  Thou 
shalt  guide  me  with  Thy  counsel,  and  afterward 
receive  me  to  glory!  " 

Oh,  whoever  you  are,  Christ  can  save  you !  Come, 
and  cry  to  Him  ;  for  none  are  too  bad  to  be  forgiven. 

IV.  Learn,  too,  from  Calvary,  that  when  a  sinner 
is  saved,  it  is  by  faith  in  Jesus.  How  can  I  prove 
to  you  the  faith  of  the  penitent  thief  ?  By  his  wonder- 
ful prayer.  Some  have  said  his  faith  is  the  most 
wonderful  that  stands  on  record.  He  turns  to  the 
poor,  despised,  persecuted,  forsaken,  marred,  insulted, 
wounded,  stripped,  mocked,  scourged,  hated,  crucified, 
dying  Jesus,  and  calls  Him  "Lord,"  and  speaks  of 
"His  kingdom,"  and  cries,  "Remember  me."  0 
strong  faith  !  thine  eye  can  behold  glory  where  others 
see  but  shame ;  and  while  others  grovel,  as  on  ano-el 
wings  thou  canst  rise  to  heaven.  And  mark  you  how 
Christ  answered  that  prayer.  "  Lord,  remember  me," 
prays  the  thief.  "  Verily,  thou  shalt  be  with  me" 
answers  Christ.  "  When  Thou  comest,"  says  the  thief. 
"To-day,"  says  Christ.  "Into  Thy  kingdom,"  says 
the  thief.     "  In  Paradise,"  answers  Christ. 

Have  you  cried,  "  Lord,  remember  me  ? "  Never 
from  your  heart,  because  you  have  never  in  your  heart 
believed  in  Christ.  And  why  not?  Had  that  thief 
the  New  Testament,  as  you  have  ?  No.  Had  that 
thief  the  preaching  of  the  gospel,  as  you  have?  No. 
Had  that  thief  the  plan  of  salvation  spread  before 
him,  as  you  have?  No.  And  yet  he  did  believe, 
while  you  do  not  believe.      0  Bible-hardened,  Sab- 


58  THE  THREE  CROSSES. 

bath-hardened,  privilege-hardened,  doctrine-hardened, 
gospel-hardened  people !  the  men  of  Nineveh  shall 
rise  up  against  yon  in  judgment ;  for  they  repented  at 
the  preaching  of  Jonas,  while  you  repent  not  at  the 
preaching  of  Jesus.  And  if  you  hide  not,  by  faith, 
in  the  Rock  of  Ages,  where  will  you  shelter  from  the 
wrath  to  come?  I  warn  you,  that  if  you  stumble  at 
this  rock,  it  shall  dash  you  to  pieces  ;  and  if  you  reject 
this  salvation,  on  you  shall  that  rock  fall,  and  "grind 
you  to  powder."  0  Jesus,  Lord,  remember  me,  re- 
member me,  when  thou  comest  into  Thy  kingdom. 

V.  Learn,  lastly,  that  while  Christ  j^lachs  some,  in 
their  last  hour,  as  brands  from  hell,  he  leaves  others 
to  burn  for  ever.  Death-bed  repentances  are  too  often 
death-bed  deceptions.  Many  lift  up  their  voices  at 
last,  and  cry  in  terror,  "  Lord,  save  me/'  and  sink 
in  the  mighty  deep.  Many  smile,  and  say,  "  Peace 
and  safety,"  "  when  sudden  destruction  cometh  upon 
them."  Many  whisper,  "  I  trust  in  God,"  and  wake 
"  in  torment/'  Behold  one  thief  borne  by  angels 
from  the  cross  to  heaven,  and  the  other  carried  by 
devils  from  the  cross  to  hell. 

Oh,  I  have  seen  death-beds,  and  I  tell  you  that  when 
men  begin  to  die,  they  sometimes  begin  to  think — yea, 
to  think  as  they  never  thought  before.  All  seems 
changed — the  world,  a  lie — life,  a  dream — sin,  a  curse 
— and  hell,  a  reality.  Then,  sinners  would  be  saints ; 
but,  "he  that  is  filthy,  let  him  be  filthy  still."  Those 
that  are  "  dead  "  while  living,  seldom  live  when  dying. 
God  gives  them  up  long  before  they  give  themselves 


THE  THREE  CROSSES.  *>$ 

up,  and  they  "die  in  their  sins."  And  sometimes  a 
strange  stupor  comes  over  the  dying— they  sink  into  a 
dreamy  indifference,  and  sleep  out  the  last  stage  to  hell. 
How  else  can  you  account  for  the  unnatural  calm  that 
we  sometimes  see  in  a  dying  sinner?  His  moments 
numbered — his  iniquities  full — his  destruction  nearino- 
— his  strength  failing — his  eyes  closing  ;  no  horror,  no 
scream ;  but  a  sigh,  and — all  over. 

Oh,  it  makes  my  blood  run  cold.  Is  that,  is  that 
what  you  are  coming  to  ?  Better  had  you  never  been 
born.  But,  despair  not.  You  have  heard  that  one 
dying  thief  was  saved,  that  none  should  despair ;  while 
the  other  dying  thief  was  lost,  that  none  should  pre- 
sume. Therefore  neither  presume  nor  despair,  but  be- 
lieve and  live, 

I  declare  to  you,  affectionately,  I  long  after  your 
salvation.  Therefore  I  speak  so  plainly  to  you.  Would 
you  have  me  deal  otherwise  with  you  ?  Shall  I  conceal 
your  danger,  and  grieve  God's  Spirit,  and  ruin  your 
souls  ?  Shall  I  ?  And  if  you  say  no,  will  you  go  on 
in  sin,  and  perish  ?  Tell  me,  is  hell  nothing  ?  Is  God 
a  liar  ?  Fall  on  your  knees,  this  hour ;  cry  to  Christ, 
this  hour ;  look  to  the  cross,  this  hour ;  believe  ON 
the  Savioue,  this  houe  ;  and  you  shall  be  saved. 
Amen. 


SEEMON  IV. 


THE  LORD  OUR,  SHEPHERD. 

Psalm  xxih. 

"  The  Lord  is  my  shepherd ;  I  shall  not  want.  He  maketh  me  to 
He  down  in  green  pastures  :  he  leadeth  me  beside  the  still  waters. 
He  restoreth  my  soul :  he  leadeth  me  in  the  paths  of  righteousness 
for  his  name's  sake.  Yea,  though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of 
the  shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil :  for  thou  art  with  me ; 
thy  rod  and  thy  staff  they  comfort  me.  Thou  preparest  a  table 
before  me  in  the  presence  of  mine  enemies :  thou  anointest  my 
head  with  oil ;  my  cup  runneth  over.  Surely  goodness  and  mercy 
shall  follow  me  all  the  days  of  my  life  :  and  I  will  dwell  in  the 
house  of  the  Lord  for  ever." 

David,  in  his  younger  days,  kept  the  sheep  of  his 
father  Jesse,  on  the  mountains  of  Judea  :  by  day  he  led 
those  sheep  to  green  pastures,  where  they  loved  to  be ; 
and  at  night,  when  the  stars  were  shining  in  heaven, 
and  the  mists  lay  in  the  valleys,  he  gathered  those  sheep 
in  some  sheltered  hollow,  and  watched  them  through  the 
long  hours  of  darkness. 

And  now  believing  himself  to  be  numbered  amono* 
God's  sheep,  he  looks  up,  and  says  with  holy  confidence 


THE  LORD  OUR  SHEPHERD.  61 

— "The  Lord  is  my  shepherd ;"  and  from  this  fact  he 
draws  this  inference  :  "  Because  the  Lord  is  my  shep- 
herd, therefore  I,  David,  shall  not  want."  Perhaps 
some  of  you  say,  "  Surely  he  did  want ;  he  sometimes 
wanted  bread — sometimes  water  ;  he  was  often  hunted 
about  like  a  'partridge  upon  the  mountains.'"  "But," 
says  David,  "  I  shall  not  want  anything  necessary  for 
one  of  God's  sheep  ;  and  as  my  Shepherd  has  all  things, 
I  shall  never  want  '  any  good  thing.'  "  The  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  true  Shepherd ;  and  how  sweetly,  in  the 
tenth  chapter  of  John,  the  Lord  Jesus  calls  himself  the 
Good  Shepherd — "  I  am,"  says  Christ — and  it  comes 
with  touching  simplicity  and  tenderness  from  His  lips 
— "  I  am  the  Good  Shepherd."  Who  can  but  believe 
Him  !  "  I  am  the  Good  Shepherd  ; "  and  to  prove  it — 
"  I  lay  down  my  life  for  the  sheep." 

When  Christ  first  began  His  shepherding,  He  had 
but  a  few  sheep.  These  He  kept  near  Himself,  by  night 
and  by  day,  until  the  sword  awoke  against  Him,  and  He 
was  smitten,  and  they  were  scattered.  But  He  rose 
again ;  gathered  the  feeble  flock  once  more,  and  com- 
mitting them  to  under  shepherds  to  keep  for  Him,  pro- 
mised still  to  be  with  them,  saying,  "  Lo !  I  am  with 
you  alway,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world."  And  He 
lias  been  with  them  ever  since  ;  and  how  often  has  He 
sheltered  them  from  the  storms  of  trouble  since ;  how 
often  has  He  taken  them  out  of  the  thorns  of  care 
since  ;  how  often,  when  sinking  in  the  deep  waters  of 
death's  river,  has  He  taken  them  in  His  arms,  and 
carried  them  across  the  flood  to  Canaan.     And  He  will 


G2  THE  LORD  OUR  SHEPHERD. 

soon  gather  all  His  wanderers  home ;   for  He  is  the 
Lord  their  Shepherd. 

"  He  maketh  me,"  saith  David,  "to  lie  down  in  green 
pastures."  There  is  no  place  the  sheep  like  better  than 
the  green  pasture.  I  hope  I  address  many,  this  morn- 
ing, who  are  the  sheep  of  God.  I  know  many  of  you 
are  but  as  wolves  in  sheep's  clothing ;  yet  there  are 
numbers  here  who  are  God's  sheep.  And  where  do 
you  find  in  this  world  green  pastures  to  lie  down  in  ? 
Now,  just  as  in  the  north  of  Africa,  amidst  the  great 
desert  of  Sahara,  there  may  be  found  here  and  there 
green  oases,  to  refresh  the  weary  traveller ;  so,  amidst 
the  sandy  desert  of  this  world,  there  is  many  a  green 
pasture,  where  Jesus  doth  make  His  sheep  to  lie  down 
■ — He  leadeth  them  into  the  fields  of  prayer,  and  praise, 
and  communion,  and  meditation,  that  they  may  feed  on 
Himself,  their  life ;  and  near  Himself  He  makes  them 
"  to  lie  down,"  that  they  may  have  rest  for  their  souls. 
0  brethren  !  there  are  many  of  you  seeking  for  the  rest 
of  pardon  ;  there  are  many  of  you  seeking  for  the  rest 
of  peace  ;  there  are  many  of  you  seeking  for  the  rest  of 
heaven :  here  is  Christ  for  you — and  Christ  has  all  in 
Himself  you  want :  Come  to  Him  !  And  oh !  come 
not  into  the  green  pastures,  to  go  out  again  ;  but  come 
in,  and  lie  down,  and  remain  resting  in  Him.  Ob, 
you  who  are  weary,  hear  Him  calling  you,  and  saying, 
"  Come  unto  me,  and  I  will  give  you  rest/'  But  mark 
how  He  makes  us  lie  down.  Now  perhaps  some  of 
you  were  once  given  to  reading  novels,  but  are  now 
given  to  reading  the  Word  of  God :  how  was  it  brought 


THE  LORD  OUR  SHEPHERD.  63 

about  ?  "  Well,"  you  say,  "  God  laid  me  on  the  bed  of 
sickness,  and  made  me  think  of  my  sins  ;  and  then  I 
read  the  Bible,  and  began  to  love  it."  It  was  God 
making  you  to  lie  down  in  green  pastures :  was  it  not  ? 
Now  some  of  you,  perhaps,  have  been  lately  in  afflic- 
tion, and  the  Lord  has  bereft  you  of  some  you  loved — - 
taken  from  beneath  you  those  props  on  which  you 
rested  ;  and  why  ?  That  He  might  lead  you  to  lean  on 
His  beloved  Son,  Jesus  Christ.  And  oh  !  if  you  are 
leaning  on  Christ,  you  lean  on  one  who  cannot  sink 
beneath  you.  Oh,  secure  resting-place !  Lean  on  Him 
— lean  on  Him !  and  you  shall  find  rest  to  your  souls. 

"  He  leadeth  me  beside  " — not  the  stormy  exposed 
waters  of  the  sea,  but  beside  the  calm  inland  waters ; 
not  beside  the  stagnant  pools,  nor  beside  the  shallow 
rills,  nor  beside  a  solitary  river,  but  beside  many  rivers 
— beside  the  streams  of  salvation,  and  the  streams  of 
peace,  and  the  streams  of  joy,  and  the  streams  of  life, 
all  the  way  along  through  the  desert ;  "  the  still 
waters/' 

"  He  restoreth  my  soul."  You  remember  now  the 
fifteenth  chapter  of  Luke,  where  Christ  answers  the 
Sadducees  and  Pharisees :  "  If  this  man/'  say  they,  "  is 
the  Son  of  God,  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  how  is  it  he 
receives  these  vile  publicans  and  sinners?"  "Now," 
answers  Christ,  "  I  came  on  purpose  to  save  such  :" 
and  saith  He — "  What  man  of  you,  having  an  hundred 
sheep,  if  he  lose  one  of  them,  doth  not  leave  the  ninety 
and  nine  in  the  wilderness,  and  go  after  that  which 
is  lost,  until  he  find  it?"     "Likewise,"  saith  Christ, 


64  THE  LORD  OUR  SHEPHERD. 

"there  is  joy  in  heaven  over  one  sinner  that  repentcth." 
And  He  does  not  add  what  He  might  add ;  He  leaves 
you  to  add  that  He  is  that  Good  Shepherd,  who  counts 
His  sheep,  and  misses  one,  and  then  goes  forth  to  seek 
it ;  and  when  He  finds  it,  does  not  drive  it  home  with 
the  shepherd's  rod  and  staff — nay,  nay,  but  carries  back 
the  poor  wandering  sheep  in  His  bosom.  And  when 
Christ  restores  any  one  of  you — and  oh,  may  He  re- 
store all  of  you  who  have  wandered  ! — when  He  restores 
any  one  of  you  to  the  sheep-fold,  then  are  the  courts  of 
heaven  filled  with  most  joyful  music :  for  there  is  joy 
among  God's  bright  and  happy  angels  over  your  re- 
stored souls,  and  joy  in  the  bosom  of  Christ  as  well, 
for  it  is  He  that  restoreth  our  souls. 

Now,  perhaps,  there  is  some  poor  wandering  sheep 
here  to-day.  Hast  thou  wandered  from  thy  God? 
And  art  thou  happy?  You  say,  "I  am  not/'  Then, 
like  David,  repent  of  thy  sin.  Perhaps,  like  Peter,  you 
have  been  ashamed  of  Jesus.  Perhaps,  by  your  words 
and  actions,  you  have  denied  Him.  But  though  thou 
hast  denied  Him,  He  has  not  denied  thee  ;  and  though 
thou  hast  forgotten  Him,  He  has  not  forgotten  thee. 
And  if,  like  Peter,  you  weep  bitterly — weep  bitterly,  in 
penitence,  and  say,  "forgive  me,"  He  will  restore  you 
to  Himself,  and  you  shall  add  with  David — "He 
leadeth  me  in  the  paths  of  righteousness  ; " — the  rough 
way,  but  the  right  way ;  "  in  the  paths  of  right- 
eousness"—  the  steep  way,  but  the  way  to  heaven; 
"  the  paths  of  righteousness  for  His  name's  sake.'' 

"Yea,"  saith  David — here  he  speaks  with  full  as- 


THE  LOED  OUR  SHEPHEED.  65 

snrance  of  faith,  in  sight  of  peril — "though  I  walk 
through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death."  Did 
he  mean  death  itself,  or  simply  the  shadow  of  death  ? 
He  may  mean  this :  Though  I  walk  through  troubles 
deep  as  a  valley — dark  as  a  shadow,  and  dangerous 
as  death — so  Matthew  Henry.  "The  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death."  But  he  may  mean  death  itself, 
perhaps  he  does  ;  but  whether  this  be  so  or  not,  he 
certainly  says,  "I  will  fear  no  evil/'  This  includes 
all ;  and  he  gives  this  as  his  reason — "  for  thou  art 
vith  me."  Now,  perhaps,  some  of  you  look  forward 
with  fear  to  that  passage  "  through  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death."  "  Ah  ! "  says  one,  "  it  is  so  dark." 
Tell  me,  did  you  ever  stand  on  the  edge  of  a  dark 
valley,  filled  to  the  very  brim  with  the  damp  mists 
of  night,  in  the  early  morning,  ere  the  sunrise?  and 
have  you  waited  till  the  sun  rose,  and  shone  down 
into  its  dej)ths,  turning  those  black  mists  to  golden 
clouds?  And  though  thou  hast  feared  to  go  clown 
in  the  darkness — have  you  feared  to  go  down  in 
the  light  ?     Now  'tis  something  like  this  with  death. 

Friend,  if  you  are  God's  child,  when  you  come  to  the 
edge  of  this  valley,  God  shall  so  cause  the  gates  of  glory 
to  be  opened  beyond,  as  to  fill  this  valley  with  light, 
and  all  your  fears  shall  vanish  with  the  darkness. 

There  is  an  old  saying  which  occurs  to  me  just 
now  about  this  darkness.  It  is  well  worth  repeat- 
ing to  you.  Some  saint  or  other  whose  name  I  can- 
not give  you,  used  to  say,  "  There  never  ivas  a 
shadow  without  a  light !" — Now  I  say,  look  n^t  at 

E 


66  THE  LORD  OUR  SHEPHERD. 

the  shadow  of  death,  but  rather  at  the  light  of  life. 
What  light  ?    Why  this,  "  Thou  art  with  me ! " 

"But,"  says  one,  "you  cannot  persuade  me  we 
don't  suffer  in  death  ;  for  I  have  seen  some  who  have 
suffered  intense  pain  in  dying.  But  may  not  your 
comfort  outweigh  your  suffering  ?  There  was  one,  not 
long  since,  on  his  death-bed,  who  often  had,  during 
his  ministry,  his  fears  of  death ;  but  when  he  came 
to  the  last,  those  fears  were  taken  away  ;  in  fact,  he 
expressed  himself  in  these  words — "  My  pains  are  so 
great,  that  I  feel  as  if  I  were  being  consumed  with 
lire  ;  but,"  he  added,  "  I  am  filled  with  joy  in  God." 
And  ere  his  spirit  departed,  he  had  himself  propped  up 
with  pillows,  and  he  took  a  pen  in  his  hand,  and  wrote 
thus  to  his  sister — "  My  much-loved  sister,  were  I  to 
use  the  figurative  language  of  Bunyan,  I  would  date 
my  letter  from  the  land  of  Beulah  ;  for  here  all  is 
light  by  day  and  by  night.  My  sins  are  gone  !  My 
soul  seems  to  float  in  the  light  of  God's  countenance." 
Now  mark  what  he  added — "Death's  cold  river,  that 
I  once  feared,  is  now  narrowed  to  a  little  stream,  that 
I  can  cross  at  a  single  step ;  and  '  to  me  to  die  is 
gain/  "  And  he  laid  him  back  gently,  and  his  eyelids 
fell  over  for  ever,  and  angels  bore  him  to  the  bosom 
of  Jesus.  Now,  you  may  never  suffer  such  pain  of 
body  as  that  man  suffered  ;  but  even  if  you  did,  if 
God's  comforts  come  in  and  fill  you  to  overflowing, 
will  you  not  be  able  to  bear  it?  Oh  !  say  with  David, 
"  I  will  fear  no  evil." 

"  But/'  says  one,  "  is  not  death  the  king  of  terrors  ? " 


THE  LORD  OUR  SHEPHERD.  67 

It  is  so  to  the  ungodly ;  it  is  to  them  the  hand  of 
God  hurrying  them  to  judgment  and  to  hell  ;  but 
not  so  to  the  Christian ;  it  wears  a  dark  mask,  'tis 
true  —  but  a  face,  bright  with  loving-kindness,  is 
shining  underneath !  A  little  child  lies  awake  near 
its  mother,  in  the  room  at  night :  it  sees  a  dark 
shadowy  form  coming  towards  it,  and  screams  with 
terror.  "  Fear  not,  child  !  "  says  the  mother  ;  "  I  am 
with  you."  But  the  child  still  trembles.  Then  she 
rises,  and  goes  to  the  window,  lifts  the  curtains,  and 
lets  in  the  dawning  light  of  day ;  and  the  child  sees 
the  countenance  of  one  who  loves  it,  in  the  face 
of  the  stranger,  and  smiles  at  its  former  fears,  and 
runs  to  their  bosom.  So  with  you,  Christian;  death 
is  coming,  and  you  fear  it.  Christ  says,  "  Fear  not ; 
for  I  am  with  you."  But  you  still  tremble.  Ah ! 
when  you  come  to  die,  Christ  will  lift  the  veil,  let 
the  light  of  eternity  shine  on  the  face  of  death,  and 
you  will  see  the  face  of  an  angel,  holding  in  his  hand 
the  key  of  heaven,  ready  to  bear  you  away  from  sorrow 
to  joy — from  darkness  to  light — and  from  the  bed  of 
pain  to  the  rest  of  peace  everlasting. 

How  beautiful  this  communion  of  David  with  God 
is!  Mark,  he  does  not  say,  God  is  with  me;  but  he 
addresses  God,  and  says,  "  Thou  art  with  me."  Chris- 
tian, do  you  commune  with  God?  Do  you  commune 
with  Him  in  prayer  ?  O  brethren,  brethren !  how 
cold  and  sinfully  heartless  our  prayers  are.  I  verily 
believe,  there  is  more  sin  often  in  our  prayers,  than  in 
any  other  act  of  our  worship.     I  believe  we  continually 


68  THE  LORD  OUR  SHEPHERD. 

mock  God  upon  our  knees,  and  far  more  often  than 
we  think.  Should  we  then  give  up  praying?  God 
forbid!  If  you  wish  to  commune  with  Christ,  con- 
tinue knocking — continue  asking — continue  seeking — 
continue  lying  at  His  feet,  until  He  lifts  you  up ; 
continue  gazing  upwards,  until  He  unveils  His  face, 
and  shines  upon  you;  continue  praying,  until  He 
restores  to  you  the  joys  of  His  salvation :  and  He 
will ;  for  He  says,  "  Ye  shall  find" — "  Ye  shall  receive  " 
— "  It  shall  be  opened  to  you." 

"  Thy  rod  and  thy  staff  they  comfort  me."  Did 
you  ever  see  a  man  fording  a  river  on  foot  ?  Taking 
his  staff,  bo  goes  down  into  the  water,  feeling  his 
way  as  he  goes  ;  when  he  comes  to  a  deep  place, 
he  puts  dow.i  the  staff  first,  in  order  to  find  the 
bottom,  and  living  felt  it,  he  takes  the  step  with 
confidence,  and  .so  passes  safely  through.  Christian, 
as  you  walk  through  the  waters  of  death,  and  when 
you  come  to  the  dvcjp  places,  where  you  say,  "Surely 
I  shall  sink/'  put  do^n  the  staff  of  previous  promises, 
and  you  shall  find  the  rock,  Christ  Jesus,  at  the 
bottom,  and  shall  crosi  safely  over.  When  the  waves 
of  the  Red  Sea  rolled  at  the  feet  of  Moses,  did  he 
not,  with  the  rod  of  God,  smite  them,  and  part  them 
asunder?  So  with  the  rod  of  faith,  we  can  smite 
the  waters  of  Jordan,  part,  tbem,  and  go  right  across. 
Thus  the  staff  of  promises  and  rod  of  faith  shall 
comfort  us.  But  the  rod  that  David  speaks  of  here 
is  the  shepherd's  rod — and  the  staff  i?  the  shepherd's 
staff.     "The  staff  of  God/'  saith  lie,  "the  wol  of 


THE  LORD  OUR  SHEPHERD.  69 

my  kind  Shepherd — these  comfort  me."  He  thinks  of 
the  time  when  he  used  to  carry  the  shepherd's  staff 
to  guide  his  father's  flock,  and  keep  them  from  stray- 
ing, and  save  them  from  destruction — and  he  says, 
"  What  though  I,  a  timid  sheep,  walk  through  the 
fearful  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death — what  though  I 
walk  through  the  midst  of  pitfalls,  and  cannot  see 
my  way  for  the  darkness,  I  will  fear  no  evil,  for 
Tii  on  art  close  at  hand  to  defend  me  with  Thy  rod, 
and  to  guide  me  with  Thy  staff;  and  though  in  the 
darkness  I  may  not  see  Thee,  still  I  feel  Thee  near  me, 
for  '  Thy  rod  and  Thy  staff  they  comfort  me/  " 

"  Thou  preparest  a  table  before  me  in  the  presence 
of  mine  enemies/'  All  that  our  bodies  and  souls  need, 
for  time  and  eternity,  is  stored  up  within  God's  hand, 
and  in  order  to  give,  He  has  but  to  open  His  hand. 
"Thou  openest  thine  hand,  and  satisfiest  the  desire 
of  every  living  thing."  And  oh,  how  often  He  opens 
that  hand  for  us  !  From  day  to  day,  and  hour  to 
hour,  evermore  giving  to  us,  He 

"  Loads  every  minute  as  it  flies, 
With  benefits  unsought !  " 

And  what  does  He  ask  from  us  in  return?  In 
return  ?  why,  nought  but  love.  Man  cannot  give  to 
God ;  and  God  cannot  receive  from  man.  Yea,  in 
the  deepest  sense,  man  cannot  give  at  all ;  and  God 
cannot  receive  at  all.  "  Love  me  !  "  saith  God  to  man  ; 
"  it  is  mine  to  give,  it  is  thine  to  receive ;  it  is  more 
blessed  to  give  to  thee  than  to  receive  from  thee.     I 


70  THE  LORD  OUR  SHEPHERD. 

will  prepare  a  place  for  thee  at  my  table,  only  do  thou 
prepare  a  place  for  me  in  thine  heart !  "  "  Thou  pre- 
parest  a  table  before  me  in  the  presence  of  mine 
enemies/'' 

Christian,  a  word  with  thee  about  sitting  down  at 
the  Lord's  table.  Perhaps  you  fear  to  sit  down  at  that 
table  which  the  Lord  has  spread  before  you,  because 
you  are  in  the  midst  of  enemies — fears  of  condemna- 
tion, and  death,  and  Satan,  and  hell,  beset  you.  But 
what  of  these  ?  if  you  are  Christ's,  you  may  sit  down  on 
the  battle-field  in  their  midst,  and  partake  of  the  bread 
of  life  eternal,  which  God  has  prepared  for  you.  You 
may  say — "  0  sin  !  I  fear  thee  not ;  for  *  there  is  there- 
fore now  no  condemnation  to  them  which  are  in  Christ 
Jesus/  "  You  may  turn  to  Satan,  and  say — "  0  Satan  ! 
I  fear  thee  not ;  though  thou  hast  many  a  time  wound- 
ed my  soul,  yet  '  the  God  of  peace  shall  shortly  bruise 
thee  beneath  my  feet.' "  Then  from  the  table  of  the 
Lord,  you  may  look  down  into  the  grave,  and  say — 
"  0  grave !  thou  art  cold  and  dark ;  but  I  fear  thee 
not,  for  thou  art  conquered  already.  Christ  hath 
risen,  and  wrested  from  thee  the  victory ;  and  I  shall 
arise  more  than  triumphant  through  Him  who  loves 
me."  And  you  may  look  down  into  the  very  depths 
of  hell  itself — solemn,  solemn  thought — and  say  even 
then — "  I  will  fear  no  evil ;  "  for  Christ — and  Christ 
does  all  for  us — Christ  has  opened  the  gates  of  heaven 
to  all  believers ! 

"Thou  anointest  my  head  with  oil."  Now  we  read 
elsewhere,  that  the  Lord  Jesus  was  anointed   "with 


THE  LORD  OUR  SHEPHERD.  71 

the  oil  of  gladness  above  His  fellows  ; "  and  here,  my 
brethren,  with  the  oil  of  gladness  Jesus  anoints  His 
people.  I  do  not  believe  that  religion  is  a  cold, 
uncomfortable,  gloomy  thing :  I  know  I  was  never 
happy  until  I  became  a  child  of  God;  something 
within  would  always  be  reminding  me — "You  must 
die  ;  the  Bible  is  true  ;  judgment  is  coming  ;  there  is  a 
hell ; "  and  I  had  no  peace  with  myself,  till  I  had  peace 
with  my  God.  Ah  !  none  but  Jesus  can  make  the  poor 
sinner  happy :  and  the  man  whose  sins  have  been 
forgiven,  ought  to  be  as  happy  as  the  day  is  long! 
I  was  lately  sitting  in  a  railway  carriage,  being  borne 
rapidly  along  by  the  sea-shore ;  and  as  I  gazed  upon 
the  sea,  brightly  shining  beneath  the  summer's  sun, 
over  which  the  winds  came  careering  with  unbound 
and  outstretched  pinions,  rolling  the  surges  along 
until  they  flashed  like  liquid  silver,  I  thought,  as  I 
gazed  upon  that  sea — Well,  now,  that  is  like  what 
the  Christian's  heart  ought  always  to  be.*  You  say, 
"How  so?"  Because  that  sea  was,  smiles  upon  its 
surface  !  and  sunlight  in  its  depths  !  And  the  hearts 
of  thousands  of  Christians  are  so,  blessed  be  God: 
they  know  what  it  is  to  "rejoice  evermore ! " 

Oh,  never  can  any  of  you  be  happy,  until  you 
become  children  of  God !  How  many  of  you  are 
seeking  for  happiness  in  other  ways ;  but  have  you 
found  it?  You  have  found  gaiety;  you  have  found 
excitement  ;  but  have  you  found  peace  ?  I  put 
it  to  you — come  tell  me  in  the  name  of  the  Lord — 
have  you  the  peace  that  saints   enjoy — the  peace  of 


72  THE  LOED  OUR  SHEPHERD. 

Christ,  which  passeth  all  understanding  ?  No ;  and 
never  shall  you  have  it  until  you  are  taught  to  bow 
down  in  penitence  before  Christ,  and  to  cast  your  sins, 
and  fears,  and  cares,  and  burdens,  down  at  His  feet 
I  look  around  me  with  strong  feelings  of  pity  and 
compassion  for  some  of  you  ■  I  tell  you  there  is  no 
happiness  like  the  hajminess  the  Christian  enjoys, 
when  he  is  brought  to  know  the  love  of  his  God.  Oh, 
the  joy  of  feeling  the  hand  of  such  a  forgiving  Father 
laid  in  love  upon  you !  Oh,  the  joy  of  the  Christian, 
when  he  is  allowed  to  lay  his  head  upon  the  bosom 
of  Jesus,  and  to  feel  the  soft  heavings  of  infinite  and 
unutterable  love  beneath  him  !  Such  a  one  can  lie 
down  in  peace  at  night,  and  sing  his  soul  away  to 
slumber  ;  he  can  wake  in  the  darkness,  and  say,  "  I 
fear  no  evil,  for  His  wings  do  cover  me  ; "  he  can  close 
his  eyes  to  sleep  again,  and  say,  "  'Tis  the  same  to  me 
whether  I  awake  in  this  world  or  the  next,  for  wherever 
I  awake  I  shall  be  still  with  Jesus."  When  he  awakes 
again  in  the  morning,  he  sees  the  face  of  hope  smiling 
down  upon  him,  and  joy  enters  his  heart,  and  stays 
with  him,  and  sings  psalms  and  hymns  to  his  soul  all 
the  day  long !  Ah,  you  know  not  what  true  religion 
is !  Now,  do  not — for  your  soul's  sake — do  not  take 
the  stiff,  formal,  melancholy  professors  you  see  around 
you,  for  fair  specimens  of  Christians.  I  tell  you  no 
man  is  a  happy  Christian,  but  the  man  who  is  a  holy 
Christian  :  such  a  one  is  filled  with  love,  and  light, 
and  joy,  and  peace,  for  ever.  "  But,"  says  some  person 
here,  "  this  is  all  very  well  for  a  time  ;  but  by  and  by, 


THE  LOKD  OUR  SHEPHERD;  73 

when  the  freshness  of  these  feelings  wear  off — when 
the  flush  of  youth  is  gone — when  sickness  and  trial 
come  ;  what  then — what  then  of  the  Christian  ?  Is 
he  still  happy  ? " 

Well,  come  here  and  see  these  two  men.  There 
they  lie  on  the  damp  stone  floor  of  a  dungeon,  at 
midnight.  Their  backs  are  wet  with  blood,  and  sore 
With  scourging  ;  there  they  lie,  famished  and  sleepless, 
and  their  feet  locked  fast  in  the  stocks.  But  hark! 
what  solemn  tones  are  those  that  steal  through  the 
long  corridors,  and  die  in  the  distance  ?  Hark !  what 
voices  are  these  that  swrell  in  solemn  song,  and  fill  the 
midnight  darkness  with  music?  floating  through  the 
dungeons,  and  lingering  in  echoes,  until  the  listening 
prisoners  tremble  with  wonder!  The  persecuted 
apostles  are  singing  God's  praises !  They  are  "  troubled 
on  every  side,  yet  not  distressed ;  perplexed,  but  not 
in  despair ;  persecuted,  but  not  forsaken ;  cast  down, 
but  not  destroyed ;  as  sorrowful,  yet  alway  rejoicing ; 
as  poor,  yet  making  many  rich  ;  as  having  nothing, 
yet  possessing  all  things!"  0  happiners  most  heavenly 
and  incomparable  ! 

"  Thou  anointest  our  heads  "  with  the  "  oil  of  glad- 
ness," and  one  look  of  love  from  Thee  so  transports 
cur  souls,  as  to  make  us  esteem  all  other  joys  but 
sorrows,  and  all  sorrows  for  Thy  sake  joys. 

But  there  is  another  meaning  beside.  You  remember 
that  Davids  head  was  anointed  with  oil  by  Samuel  the 
priest,  when  he  was  made  king  of  Israel.     Surely  he 


74  THE  LORD  OUR  SHEPHERD. 

thought  of  this  when  uttering  these  words,  "Thou 
anointest  my  head  with  oil." 

Thus  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  comes  as  our  Great 
High  Priest.  He  comes  clothed  with  the  white  robe 
of  purity,  and  wearing  the  crimson  vesture  dipped 
in  blood.  He  comes,  bearing  on  His  bosom,  engraven 
on  those  twelve  jewels,  the  twelve  names  of  the  twelve 
tribes  of  the  Israel  of  God.  He  comes  and  calls  to 
himself  the  weak,  and  the  wretched,  and  the  helpless, 
and  the  outcast.  He  calls  some  from  dark  dungeons, 
and  some  from  miserable  attics  ;  some  from  straw- 
thatched  cottages,  and  some  from  gorgeous  palaces ; 
some  from  the  world's  cities  of  sin,  and  some  from 
the  most  lonely  deserts  ;  some  from  quiet  hamlets  in 
distant  valleys,  and  some  from  solitary  ships  floating 
across  the  waste  waters.  He  calls  them  to  Himself, 
and  having  sprinkled  on  them  the  all-atoning  blood 
which  can  cleanse  from  every  stain  of  sin,  He  clothes 
them  with  the  spotless  raiment  of  righteousness ;  and 
then  does  He  cease  ?  Oh,  no !  Christ,  who  is  the 
complete  Saviour  of  His  people,  from  first  to  last, 
leaves  not  His  work  unfinished,  but  pours  upon  their 
heads  the  heavenly  oil  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  thus  setting 
them  apart  for  the  service  of  God — making  them  kings 
and  priests  unto  God  and  His  Father  for  ever. 

"  My  cup  runneth  over."  Now,  perhaps,  some  Chris- 
tian here  will  say,  "  Well,  however  your  cup  may  run 
over,  my  cup  does  not."  What  has  happened  ?  "  Well," 
you  say,  "  the  Lord  has  taken  away  many  a  thing  from 
me  that  I  once  had,  and  I  have  been   plunged  into 


THE  LORD  OUR  SHEPHERD.  75 

poverty."  Says  another,  "  I  have  riches,  but  I  have 
not  health;  and  what  is  wealth  without  health?  My 
cup  is  not  even  half  full."  Now  let  me  ask  you — Are 
you  children  of  God  ?  Are  your  sins  forgiven  ?  If  so 
your  cups  run  over ;  they  must  do  so.  But  you  say, 
"  If  you  state  that  my  cup  runs  over,  you  put  me  on  a 
level  with  David  ;  his  cup  only  ran  over."  Christians, 
there  are  cups  of  different  sorts,  of  different  material 
arid  size.  David's  cup  was  a  cup  of  gold  ;  thine  may 
be  lead,  thine  silver,  thine  wood,  and  thine  iron  ;  but 
may  not  a  leaden,  silver,  wooden,  or  iron  cup,  be  as 
full  as  a  golden  one  ?  Yea,  I  tell  you,  they  may  be 
fuller. 

You  may  look  into  many  a  golden  cup,  and  find  it 
empty,  save  for  the  dust  that  lies  in  it ;  and  you  may 
climb  the  hill  side  on  a  summer's  day,  and  resting  be- 
neath the  shadow  of  an  overhanging  rock,  by  the  road- 
side spring,  you  may  find  a  cup  of  rusty  iron,  bound 
with  a  chain  to  the  spot,  and  filled  with  cool,  clear 
water ;  and  I  tell  you  there  is  many  a  rich  man,  yea, 
many  a  king,  whose  cup  of  gold  is  empty,  save  of  dust ; 
and  there  is  many  a  poor  man,  bound  by  the  covenant 
of  grace  as  with  a  chain  of  iron  to  the  Eock  of  Ages, 
whose  cup,  beneath  the  unfailing  spring,  Christ  Jesus, 
is  always  overflowing!  If  thou  art  Christ's,  thy  cup 
"  runneth  over."  Art  thou  ?  The  fact  is,  I  know  right 
well — and  your  consciences  tell  you  so — you  are  seeking 
happiness  elsewhere ;  but  apart  from  Christ,  you  can- 
not find  it.  I  tell  you  that  Jesus  Christ  is  God's  great 
cup,  filled  to  overflowing  with  the  waters  of  peace,  and 


7$  THE  LORD  OUR  SIIEPHERD. 

joy,  and  life,  and  heaven  ;  and  if  yon  drink  ont  of  Jesus 
you  will  want  nothing. 

"  Surely  goodness  and  mercy  shall  follow  me." 
Here  is  a  thing  to  say.  "  What  did  he  know,"  says 
some  one,  "about  futurity Vs  He  knew  this  much, 
that  goodness  and  mercy  would  follow  him  all  the  days 
of  his  life.  Some  of  you  are  always  anticipating 
trouble:  one  fears  bodily  pain,  another  poverty,  an- 
other bankruptcy,  another  bereavement.  Why,  if  you 
are  children  of  God,  goodness  and  mercy  shall  follow 
you  all  your  days ;  and  what  day  is  there  left  for  you 
to  fear  ?  If  goodness  and  mercy  follow  you  from  Sun- 
day to  Sunday,  all  the  year  round,  and  all  your  life 
long,  what  day  is  there  left  for  you  to  fear?  Only 
have  faith  in  God  ;  and  let  your  mind  be  at  rest.  But 
there's  more  than  comfort,  there's  honour  in  this.  Now, 
you  call  that  man  an  honourable  man,  because  he  gene- 
rally has  two  liveried  servants  following  him,  and  you 
wonder  at  me  because  I  call  that  poor  Christian  an 
honourable  Christian,  and  say,  that  wherever  she  goes, 
she  has  two  liveried  servants  following  her.  But  you 
ask,  "  What  servants  ?"  Angels — bright  angels,  blessed 
angels,  sister  angels — who  have  come  all  down  all  her 
pathway  of  life  following  her  ;  and  when  she  lies  down 
in  the  night  on  her  hard  pallet,  and  draws  over  her  the 
thin  coverlet,  their  wings  overshadow  her,  for  they 
watch  near  her ;  and  the  name  of  the  one  angel  is 
"  Goodness ! "  and  the  name  of  the  other  angel  is 
"Mercy!"  and  when  she  departs,  Goodness  shall  take 
one  hand,  and  Mercy  the  other,  and  with  their  strong 


THE  LOED  OUE  SHEPHEED. 

white  wings  they  shall  bear  her  upward  to  the  place 
where  sorrows  cannot  come ;  and  having  followed  her 
through  her  hour  of  darkness,  they  shall  follow  her 
through  her  eternity  of  glory,  "  all  the  days "  of  her 
life  everlasting. 

"  And  I  will  dwell  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  for  ever." 
Here's  a  conclusion!  "I  will  dwell,"  rest,  remain,  "in 
the  house  of  the  Lord  for  ever."  Some  people  would  be 
satisfied  to  dwell  here  for  ever,  and  say,  Surely  this  is 
good  enough  for  us  ;  but  not  so  David, — "  I  will  dwell," 
saith  he,  "in  the  house  of  the  Lord  for  ever/'  This 
may  be  a  fine  house,  with  its  great  dome  of  blue  above, 
and  its  many  coloured  curtains  of  the  clouds,  and  its 
green  carpet  of  the  grass ;'  but  it  is  not  like  the  house 
of  the  Lord.  Is  the  stool  on  which  I  put  my  feet  my 
house  ?  Ah !  no  ;  no  more  is  this  world  God's  house ; 
it  is  God's  footstool.  Oh,  who  can  describe  the  house 
of  the  Lord  ?  You  may  speak  of  trees,  and  fountains, 
and  rivers,  and  valleys,  and  palaces,  and  cities,  and 
thrones ;  but  these  are  merely  images  taken  from 
things  seen  by  the  outward  eye,  and  are  but  dim 
shadows  of  that  glory.  Suffice  it  that  there  is  such  a 
place,  perfect  in  every  way,  the  choice  work  of  the 
great  Architect  of  the  universe,  where  all  the  Lord's 
millions  shall  dwell  with  their  blessed  Jesus.  This  is 
heaven !  and  this  is  home !  Yea,  God's  -home  and 
mine,  if  I  am  His,  for  ever ! 

And  now  let  me  draw  to  a  conclusion.  That  psalm 
is  not  only  the  psalm  of  psalms,  and  the  psalm  of  life, 
and  the  pilgrims'  psalm,  and  especially  David's  psalm  ; 


78  THE  LORD  OUE  SHEPHERD. 

but  it  is  the  most  wonderful  test  of  the  reality  of  a 
man's  religion  when  properly  applied.  Now,  I  wonder 
can  any  one  of  you  say  that  psalm  through  with  truth. 
Can  you,  brethren  ?  Can  you  ?  Now,  pause  and  think 
one  moment  before  you  say  you  can.  David  does  not 
speak  of  any  one  but  of  himself,  and  of  His  God.  He 
does  not  say,  "The  Lord  is  Saul's  shepherd,  or  Jo- 
nathan's shepherd,  or  Samuel's  shepherd,  but  my  shep- 
herd." Now,  can  you  go  through  that  psalm,  applying 
it  to  yourself?  Now,  try.  "The  Lord  is  MY  shep- 
herd ;  I  shall  not  want.  He  maketh  ME  to  lie  down  in 
green  pastures  :  He  leadeth  ME  beside  the  still  waters. 
He  restoreth  my  soul :  He  leadeth  ME  in  the  paths  of 
righteousness  for  His  name's  sake.  Yea,  though  I 
walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  /  will 
fear  no  evil :  for  Thou  art  with  me  ;  Thy  rod  and  Thy 
staff  they  comfort  ME.  Thou  preparest  a  table  before 
me  in  the  presence  of  mine  enemies :  Thou  anointest 
my  head  with  oil ;  MY  cup  runneth  over.  Surely  good- 
ness and  mercy  shall  follow  me  all  the  days  of  MY  life : 
and  /  will  dwell  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  for  ever." 

Can  you  say  that?  There  are  some  here  who 
say,  "We  believe  we  can."  Then,  happy  are  ye, 
happy  are  ye ;  for  if  God  is  your  shepherd,  all  will 
be  well  with  you  for  ever.  There  are  some  here  who 
cannot  say  that ;  and  to  them  a  solemn  word  before 
they  go.  I  would  not  let  you  go  without  a  warning, 
lest  your  blood  be  required  at  my  hands. 

Now,  I  tell  you  solemnly,  in  the  name  of  the  Most 
High   God,   who  lives  this  moment,  in  whose  hands 


THE  LORD  OUR  SHEPHERD.  79 

your  souls  are  held,  and  by  whom  you  breathe — I  tell 
you  that  your  state  is  a  most  awful  one.  You  can- 
not say,  "The  Lord  is  my  shepherd;"'  you  may  call 
Him  Maker,  Judge,  but  not  Shepherd,  You  cannot 
say,  "I  shall  not  want.''  All  you  can  say  is,  "The 
time  is  coming  when  I  shall  want  light,  and  rest,  and 
ease,  and  peace,  and  hope ;  when  I  shall  want  even 
a  drop  of  water  to  cool  my  parched  tongue."  You 
cannot  say,  "He  maketh  me  to  lie  -down  in  green 
pastures."  All  you  can  say  is,  "  I  seek  to  lie  down, 
and  make  my  rest  in  this  life  ;  but  wherever  I  spread 
my  pillows,  God  plants  His  thorns."  You  cannot  say, 
"He  leadeth  me  beside  still  waters."  All  you  can 
say  is,  "  I  have  long  wandered  beside  the  poisoned 
streams  of  sinful  pleasures."  You  cannot  say,  "He 
restoreth  my  soul ;"  you  can  only  say,  u  Every  day 
finds  me  further  from  heaven,  and  nearer  hell/'  You 
cannot  say,  "  He  leadeth  me  in  the  paths  of  righteous- 
ness for  his  name's  sake."  All  you  can  say  is,  "I 
take  the  paths  of  sin  for  pleasure's  sake ;"  and  the 
end  of  these  is  death.  You  cannot  say,  "  Yea,  though 
I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  I 
will  fear  no  evil."  All  you  can  say  is,  "  When  death 
drags  my  shuddering  spirit  through  the  dark  and  fear- 
ful valley,  I  must  at  last  tremble  at  evil/'  You  can- 
not say,  "Thou  art  with  me,  Lord."  All  you  can  say 
is,  "Thou  art  against  me."  You  cannot  say,  "Thy 
rod  and  thy  staff  they  comfort  me."  You  ean  but  say, 
"Thy  rod  and  Thy  staff  they  trouble  me."  You  can- 
not say,    "Thou  preparest  a  table  before  me  in  the 


80  THE  LOED  OUR  SHEPHL'ttD. 

presence  of  mine  enemies."  All  you  can  say  is,  £ 
stand  afar  off,  and  look  on  while  the  children  of  God 
eat  and  drink  of  the  broken  bread,  and  poured  out 
wine ;  but  as  for  me,  I  have  neither  part  nor  lot  in 
the  matter;  or,  if  I  eat  of  that  bread,  and  drink  of 
that  wine,  it  is  as  a  hollow-hearted  hypocrite,  eating 
and  drinking  condemnation  to  my  soul/'  You  cannot 
say,  "Thou  anointest  my  head  with  oil."  You  can 
but  say,  "Sin  covers  my  head  with  the  ashes  of 
sorrow."  You  cannot  say,  "My  cup  of  life  ever- 
lasting runs  over."  You  can  but  say,  "There  is  a 
cup  prepared  for  me  in  the  depth  of  hell — a  cup 
that  overflows  with  woe,  and  sorrow,  and  tears,  and 
sighing,  and  pain,  and  despair ;  and  though  bitter 
as  death,  I  must  drink  of  it  for  ever/'  You  cannot 
say,  "Surely  goodness  and  mercy  shall  follow  mo 
all  the  days  of  my  life."  You  can  but  say,  "  Surely 
justice  and  judgment  shall  follow  me  all  the  days 
of  my  life;"  and  instead  of  adding,  "I  will  dwell 
in  the  house  of  the  Lord  for  ever,"  you  can  but  say, 
"  I  must  dwell  in  the  house  of  the  damned  for  ever." 

And  now  go ;  do  not  say  that  no  one  ever  warned 
you.  I  stand  up  as  a  man,  in  the  name  of  God, 
and  warn  you.  "  Turn  you,  turn  you,  for  why  will 
ye  die?"  And  now,  go  your  ways — you  to  your 
merchandise,  and  you  to  your  pleasure,  and  you  to 
your  companions,  and  you  to  your  sins.  Dream  out 
your  few  more  hours  of  hope,  without  repentance ; 
slumber  a  little  longer,  and  wake  in  hell.  Do  you 
tremble,  and  ask,  "What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved V     I 


THE  LORD  OUR  SHEPHERD.  81 

point  you  to  Christ,  and  bid  you  ''believe  in  Him." 
Do  you  say  there's  no  hope  of  His  receiving  you.  I 
tell  you  He  pities  you,  and  offers  to  help  you.  Oh, 
if  you  could  but  see  Him !  Come  here ;  turn  not 
away ;  come  here,  and  look  on  Jesus.  Would  to  God 
T  had  the  power  to  unveil  Him  to  you  !  You  should 
see  those  eyes  that  were  once  dim  with  tears,  once 
glazed  in  death,  now  beaming  with  love !  You 
should  see  that  brow  which  was  once  red  with  blood, 
once  crowned  with  thorns,  now  bright  with  love! 
You  should  see  those  hands  that  were  once  clasped  in 
prayer,  once  nailed  to  the  cross,  now  stretched  out  in 
love ;  and  that  heart  that  was  once  pierced  with  pain, 
once  broken  and  still  in  death,  now  filled  with  love. 
— Oh,  come  to  Him! — love  Him! — follow  Him!  And 
He  will  be  your  soul's  Good  Shepherd,  even  unto 
death,  and  will  give  you  eternal  life ;  which  may  God 
grant,  of  His  infinite  mercy.     Amen. 


SEKMON  V. 


LIVING  SACRIFICES. 

Eom.  xii.  1. 

*  1 1)6866011  you  therefore,  brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God,  that  yo 
present  your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  unto  God, 
which  is  your  reasonable  service." 

I  have  one  request  to  make,  before  I  proceed  to  ad- 
dress you  on  the  words  which  I  have  chosen  for  this 
morning's  meditation.  The  request  is  this,  that  those 
of  you  who  are  in  the  habit  of  lifting  up  your  hearts 
in  prayer  to  the  Lord,  will,  this  morning,  while  I 
speak  for  God  to  you,  speak  for  yourselves  to  God  ; 
and  you  may  depend  upon  it,  that  if,  in  spirit  and  in 
truth,  you  ask  of  God  those  blessings  which  you  need, 
those  blessings  you  shall  receive,  "for  the  mouth  of 
the  Lord  hath  spoken  it." 

God  always  must  be  served,  and  that  by  all.  Did 
angels  refuse  to  serve  Him  in  heaven?  He  straight- 
way  cast  them  down  to  hell.  Did  man  refuse  to  serve 
Him,  by  obedience,  in  Eden?  At  the  flaming  point 
of  the  seraphim's  sword,  He  drove  him  from  the  garden 
of  Paradise.     Now,  we  are  placed  in  this  position  with 


LIVING  ''SACRIFICES.  83 

respect  to  God.  God  demands  that  we,  as  reasonable 
beings,  -should  render  to  Hint  a  certain  reasonable 
service ;  and  there  are  four  courses  lying  open  to  us. 
We  may  refuse  to  render  to  God  the  reasonable  service 
lie  demands,  and  attempt  to  oppose  and  overcome 
Him  ;  we  may  refuse  to  render  Him  this  service,  and 
•attempt  to  flee  from  and  escape  Him  ;  we  may  refuse 
to  render  Him  this  service,  and  attempt  to-  endure  His 
wrath ;  or,  lastly,  we  may  submit  to  Him,  and  serve 
Him  as  we  ought.  Which  of  these  four  courses  shall 
we  take  ?  We  cannot  succeed  in  the  first — we  cannot 
overcome  God.  What  can  weakness  do  before  strength? 
What  can  such  weakness  as  ours  do  before  such  strength 
as  His  %  We  cannot  succeed  in  the  second — Ave  cannot 
escape  God.  Were  we  to  take,  the  wings  of  the  morn- 
ing, and  flee  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth,  or 
of  the  sea,  behold,  we  should  find  God  there :  were  we 
to  climb  the  ladder  Jacob  saw  in  dreams,  to  heaven, 
we  should  find  God  there :  or,  were  we  to.  descend  to 
the  lowest  depths,  of  hell,  and  make  our  beds  amid 
the  blackness  of  darkness,  we  should  find  God  there. 
He  besets  us  behind  and  before.  He  compasses  us 
on  every  side.  He  knows  our  rising  up^  and  our 
lying  down.  He  knows  our  eating,  our  drinking,  our 
smiling,  our  weeping,  our  labouring,  our  resting,  our 
living,  and  our  dying ;  we  could  as  soon  escape  from 
ourselves  as  escape  from  God.  Whether  we  are  saints 
or  sinners,  in  God  we  live,  move,  and  have  our  being ; 
and  whether  we  go  to  heaven,  or  to  hell,  in  God  we 
shall  live,  move,  and  have  our  being  throughout  eternity, 


84  LIVING  SACRIFICES. 

Seeing,  then,  that  we  cannot  succeed  in  the  second 
thing,  can  we  in  the  third  ?  Can  we  endure  the  wrath 
of  God  ?  Ah,  my  friends  !  who  among  us-  can  lie  down 
in  devouring  fire  ?  Who  among  us  is  prepared  to  dwell 
in  everlasting  torments  ?  Ah  !  there  is  nothing  left  for 
us  but  to  submit  to  God.  The  only  course  now  left 
us — the  only  right  course — and  the  only  course  which 
a  reasonable  man  with  his  eyes  open  would  take,  is 
this, — to  submit,  to  yield  to  God,  and  attempt  to  per- 
form the  reasonable  service  which  He  requires  at  our 
hands. 

Now,  what  is  this  reasonable  service  which  God 
requires  ?  What  saith  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  the  mouth 
of  Paul,  in  the  text  ?  These  are  the  words,  "  I  beseech 
you  therefore,  brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God,  that 
ye  present  your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  accept- 
able unto  God,  your  reasonable  service." 

Alas !  that  I  should  have  to  speak  * o  you  as  I  do, 
dear  friends.  How  different  the  spirit  of  the  few 
opening  sentences  I  have  just  uttered,  seems  from  the 
spirit  of  the  sweet  and  tender  words  of  my  text !  I 
hardly  know  what  to  say  about  it.  If  I  have  spoken 
thus,  I  have  spoken  to  those  of  you  who  are  ungodly, 
and  careless  about  spiritual  things ;  and  I  have  spoken 
thus,  that  I  might  shew  you  how  God  has  hedged  you 
in  completely  and  for  ever,  and  shew  you  that  the  only 
course  which  you  can  possibly  take,  with  advantage 
to  yourselves,  is  the  course  pointed  out  by  the  Apostle 
Paul  in  the  text.  But  having  done  so — having,  T  trust, 
gained  your  serious  attention — having  shewn  you  that 


LIVING  SACRIFICES.  85 

tliis  is  no  matter  to  be  trifled  with — having  shewn  you 
that  it  is  of  unspeakable  and  infinite  importance  that 
you  should  act  rightly  in  this  matter,  I  would  now  fill 
my  mouth  with  the  gentle  and  persuasive  arguments 
of  the  blessed  apostle,  and  beseech  you  by  the  mercies 
of  God,  to  present  your  bodies  "  a  living  sacrifice,  holy, 
acceptable  unto  God,  which  is  your  reasonable  service/' 

In  speaking  to  you  upon  the  text,  then,  I  will  first 
try  to  shew  you,  affectionately  and  plainly,  what  your 
reasonable  service  is — "Present  your  bodies  a  living 
sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  unto  God;"  and  after  doing 
so,  I  will  try  to  persuade  you  to  render  God  this 
reasonable  service,  using  as  my  plea  God's  mercies 
to  you,  beseeching  you,  "by  the  mercies  of  God/'  to 
present  yourselves  living  sacrifices  to  God. 

First,  then  :  In  dwelling  upon  the  words  "  Present 
your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  unto 
God,"  I  have  to  point  out  these  two  things — the  sacri- 
fice to  be  offered,  and  the  manner  of  offering  it ;  and 
may  we  all  be  enlightened  from  on  high  to  understand 
these  things  aright.  Now,  what  is  the  sacrifice  to  be 
offered  ?  It  is  the  holy,  living  sacrifice  of  our  bodies. 
Our  bodies  must  be  presented  to  God,  and  they  must 
be  presented  holy  sacrifices,  and  living  sacrifices.  But, 
ah  !  how  can  we  do  this  ?  How  can  we  present  our 
unholy  bodies  as  holy  sacrifices  ?  Are  they  not  un- 
clean ?  Do  they  not  contain  deep,  dark  fountains 
of  sin  and  uncleanness?  Have  they  not  within  them 
evil  hearts,  from  which  flow  continually  the  streams 
of  lust,  and  pride,  and  selfishness,  and  envy,  and  deceit, 


86  LIVING  SACRIFICES. 

and  hatred,  and  all  iniquity  ?  And  if  this  is  the  case, 
if  these  bodies,  which  were  created  to  he  temples  of 
God,  have  been  converted  into  dens  of  thieves,  and 
habitations  of  devils,  and  have  become  deeply  stained 
and  dyed  with  all  manner  of  guilt  and  degradation, 
oh,  how  can  we  present  them  as  holy  sacrifices  to 
God?  How  can  we  dare  to  lay  any  such  sacrifices 
upon  His  altar  ?  And  if  we  dared  to  do  it,  how  could 
He  accept  them  ?  Let  me  ask  you  to  turn  aside  for 
a  moment,  and  see  how  the  priests  of  old  used  to  act 
when  they  brought  sacrifices  to  God's  altar  to  offer 
them  up.  Having  killed  and  flayed  the  animal,  they 
cut  it  open,  and  took  out  all  that  was  unclean  and 
corrupt  within ;  and  then,  having  washed  it  with  pure 
water,  they  laid  it  on  the  wood  upon  the  altar,  and 
consumed  it  with  fire  before  the  Lord.  Brethren, 
Jesus,  our  great  High  Priest,  would  treat  us  thus. 
He  would  first  wash  us  externally  from  the  dark  guilt 
of  all  our  past  transgressions,  in  His  own  most  precious 
blood,  and  then,  laying  us  open,  would  cut  away  and 
remove  all  that  is  corrupt  within  us— all,  I  say,  that 
is  corrupt  within  us — taking  away  the  very  heart  and 
entrails  of  indwelling  sin,  and  purging  and  purifying 
us  within  by  the  washing  of  regeneration,  and  the 
renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  thus,  being  cleansed 
without  and  within,  we  may  be  laid  as  holy  sacrifices 
upon  the  altar,  and  consumed  before  the  Lord.  Before 
I  leave  this  part  of  my  subject,  I  would  humbly  ask 
you,  Have  you  been  thus  cleansed  by  the  blood  of 
Christ,  and  by  the  Spirit  of  God  ?  and  if  so,  are  you 


LIVING  SACRIFICES.  87 

presenting  your  bodies  as  holy  sacrifices  to  God  ?  and 
if  not,  will  you  do  so  from  henceforth?  Oh,  my 
brethren !  the  very  first  thing  you  should  all  seek  is 
this  sanctification  of  which  I  speak.  Are  you  made 
holy  ?  Oil !  are  you  sanctified  by  the  blood  and  Spirit 
of  God  ?  What  is  the  use  of  all  your  religion  if  you 
have  not  this?  There  is  no  salvation  without  this. 
I  solemnly  ask,  Are  you  justified  by  Christ's  blood, 
and  sanctified  by  God's  Spirit?  I  mean,  are  your 
sins  forgiven,  and  your  hearts  changed?  If  so,  we 
can  proceed  together  with  the  text;  but  if  not,  we 
must  stop  at  once,  and  part  here.  You  cannot  advance 
a  step  in  this  way  of  holiness  until  you  are  pardoned 
and  renewed.  Oh,  come  to  Jesus  !  Believe  on  Him ! 
Eemember,  it  is  through  the  wicket-gate  of  faith  that 
you  must  go  to  the  cross.  What  a  gospel  I  have  to 
preach  to  you  !  Oh,  how  free  to  the  very  poorest  and 
vilest !  I  preach  to  you  the  gospel,  or  the  glad  tidings, 
of  the  grace,  or  of  the  goodness,  and  love,  and  mercy 
of  God  !  The  gate  I  point  you  to,  and  bid  you  take, 
is  the  gate  of  grace  !  The  cross  I  point  you  to,  and 
bid  you  seek,  is  the  cross  of  grace  !  Oh,  come  empty, 
and  buy,  without  money,  and  without  price,  the  wine 
and  milk  of  the  kingdom  of  God  ! 

"  Ho  !  ye  needy,  come  and  welcome  ! 
God's  free  bounty  glorify  : 
True  belief,  and  true  repentance, 
Every  grace  that  brings  us  nigh, 

"Without  money, 
Come  to  Jesus  Christ  and  buy." 

And   if   any  of   you   have   come,   and   have  been 


88  LIVING  SACRIFICES. 

pardoned  and  renewed,  do  not  let  anything  I  have 
said  about  the  necessity  that  this  sacrifice  should  be  a 
holy  one,  hinder  you  from  freely  presenting  yourselves 
to  the  Lord.  Do  not  mistake  my  meaning.  I  have 
not  said  that  you  may  not  offer  yourselves  to  God 
unless  you  are  without  spot  and  blameless ;  for  you 
will,  I  am  persuaded,  never  be  able  to  offer  yourselves 
like  Christ,  without  spot,  unto  God,  until  you  are 
freed  from  your  mortal  bodies,  completely  and  for 
ever;  but  this  rather,  that,  having  been  pardoned 
and  renewed,  though  not  yet  perfected  in  holiness, 
you  should,  reckoning  vourselves  "  to  be  dead  indeed 
unto  sin,  but  alive  unto  God  through  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord,"  present  your  bodies  a  holy  sacrifice  unto 
God,  which  is  your  reasonable  service. 

But,  besides  being  holy,  the  sacrifice  must  be  entire. 
It  must  be  the  sacrifice  of  "  your  bodies."  I  believe 
that,  by  the  expression  "your  bodies/'  Paul  just 
means  yourselves.  When  the  lamb  was  brought  to 
the  altar,  the  body  of  that  lamb  was  brought,  and 
all  that  it  contained.  So,  when  you  bring  your  bodies 
to  God,  you  bring  your  souls  and  spirits  too.  Your 
bodies  are  like  precious  caskets  containing  still  more 
precious  jewels.  God  desires  that  yon  bring  those 
caskets,  so  "fearfully  and  wonderfully  made,"  with 
the  bright  and  precious  jewels  they  contain,  into  the 
treasury  of  His  temple,  and  lay  them  at  His  feet. 
Oh,  come  then,  and  bring  yourselves  to  God !  Come, 
like  the  poor  widow  that  Christ  commended,  and  cast 
your  two  mites  into  the  treasury  !  your  body  and  your 


LIVING  SACRIFICES.  89 

soul !  and  bring  all  you  have  as  well  as  all  you  are, 
Bring  all  your  possessions,  bring  all  your  talents,  and 
knowledge,  and  wealth,  and  strength,  and  health,  and 
time,  and  life — all,  all  you  have,  and  cast  in  all.  Oh, 
I  do  beseech  you,  keep  back  nothing !  What,  can  you 
have  become  Christians,  without  learning  that  ye  are 
not  your  own?  Can  ye  have  felt  the  preciousness 
of  the  blood  of  Jesus,  without  learning  that  ye  are 
bought  with  a  price  ?  Can  ye  have  become  followers 
of  Jesus,  without  learning  that  ye  are  God's  own? 
If  then  ye  are  not  your  own,  but  are  bought  with  a 
price,  and  are  now  God's  own,  "glorify  God  in  your 
bodies  and  in  your  spirits,  which  are  God's." 

If  you  want  examples  of  that  which  I  am  urging 
upon  you,  read  the  Bible ;  yea,  read  just  one  chapter 
of  it,  read  the  eleventh  of  Hebrews,  and  you  will  find 
them  in  abundance.  Or,  look  at  a  poor  sinner,  a  man 
of  like  passions  with  yourself,  one  who  had  been  a 
persecutor  and  injurious,  and  who  considered  himself 
the  chief  of  sinners — look  at  that  man,  devoting  himself 
after  his  conversion,  body,  soul,  and  spirit,  health, 
strength,  time,  life,  and  all  to  the  service  of  the 
adorable  Saviour !  Look  at  Paul  the  apostle  present- 
ing himself  every  day,  in  the  midst  of  every  tempta- 
tion the  flesh,  the  world,  and  Satan  could  bring  to 
bear  upon  him  to  hinder  him  from  doing  so — presenting 
himself  every  day  a  holy  sacrifice  to  God,  and  that, 
from  year  to  year,  throughout  a  long  life  of  unspeak- 
able self-denial  and  suffering  ;  and  at  last,  having  fought 
the  wondrous  fight  against  the  mighty  and  dark  host; 


00  LIVING  SACRIFICES. 

of  deadly  enemies  upon  every  side — having  struggled 
with,  and  overcome  Satan,  the  world,  and  himself,  his 
three  strongest,  most  watchful,  and  most  deadly  enemies, 
and  having  finished,  in  presence  of  the  cloud  of  witnesses, 
the  course  which  God  had  set  before  him,  declaring: 
himself  "  ready  to  be  offered  !  "  Oh,  riches  of  the  grace 
of  God !  Oh,  what  cannot  God's  free  grace  do  for 
the  vilest  sinner ! — " ready  to  be  offered"  on  the  block 
or  at  the  stake — a  bleeding  martyr,  or  a  burning  sacri- 
fice to  God  !  Or,  nobler  far !  look  at  Jesus !  But 
here  my  tongue  fails  me.  No  human  lips  can  pro- 
perly describe  the  offering  of  this  sacrifice.  Ah ! 
brethren,  here  we  are  overwhelmed.  Here  is  the  only 
real  sacrifice  which  has  ever  been  offered  up  to  God ! 
Oh !  these  words,  "  who  gave  Himself  for  us"  no 
man,  no  angel,  can  ever  fully  expound  or  even  com- 
prehend them  !  "  who  gave  Himself  for  us  ! " — you 
ask  for  an  example ;  well,  then,  here  it  is  !  u  Christ 
suffered  for  us,  leaving  us  an  example,  that  we  should 
follow  His  steps," — "  who  His  own  self  bare  our  sins, 
in  His  own  body  on  the  tree,  that  we  being  dead  to 
sin  should  live  unto  righteousness  I "  Oh  that 
through  His  death,  being  dead  unto  sin,  by  His  life, 
and  following  His  example,  we  may  live  unto  right- 
eousness, presenting  our  bodies  holy,  living,  and  ac- 
ceptable sacrifices  to  God,  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord ! 

II.  Having  shewn  you  the  sacrifice  to  be  offered, 

1  would  now  say  a  few  words  about  the  manner  of 
offeriug  it.     I  gather  two  things  from  the  text  about 


LIVING  SACRIFICES.  91 

this :  the  first  is,  that  you  are  to  offer  yourselves 
freely,  and  the  second,  that  you  are  to  offer  yourselves 
daily.  "I  beseech  you,"  says  the  apostle,  "that  ye 
present"  yourselves.  Do  not  wait  to  be  obliged  to 
come  to  God's  altar,  but  come  of  your  own  accord, 
and  lay  yourselves  upon  it — ''present"  yourselves. 
Now,  the  principle  of  all  this  is  that  of  love.  If  you 
love  God  as  you  should,  you  will  present  yourselves 
to  God.  Oh,  when  will  you  see  it?  He  wants  you 
to  give  yourselves  freely  to  Him,  freely  to  do  it.  Do 
you  not  understand  the  difference  between  giving 
freely  and  giving  grudgingly?  Suppose  you  have  a 
friend  who  is  poor,  and  that  friend  comes  to  you  to 
ask  for  a  small  sum  of  money,  and  you  have  the 
means  of  giving  it.  If  you  love  your  money  better  than 
you  love  your  friend,  and  act  upon  that  feeling,  you 
will  keep  your  money  and  let  your  friend  want.  If  you 
love  your  money  as  much  as  you  love  your  friend, 
you  will,  most  likely,  halt  and  waver  doubtfully  for 
a  while,  and  if  at  last  you  give  the  money,  you 
will  give  it  grudgingly.  But,  if  you  love  your  friend 
better  than  you  love  your  money,  far  better  than  you 
love  it,  and  act  under  the  influence  of  that  love,  you 
will  give  the  money  freely — you  will  neither  refuse 
nor  grudge  the  gift.  Now,  we  beseech  you,  by  the 
mercies  of  God,  that  ye  neither  refuse  to  give  your- 
selves to  God  nor  grudge  to  give  yourselves  to  God, 
but  give  yourselves  freely  in  the  fulness  of  affection 
to  the  Lord,  to  be  laid  as  sacrifices  upon  His  altar. 
You  remember  how  the  apostle  says  elsewhere,  "Yield 


92  LIVING  SACRIFICES. 

yourselves  to  God  as  those  that  are  alive  from  the 
dead,  and  your  members  as  instruments  of  righteous- 
ness unto  God."  And  you  remember,  too,  how  the 
Lord  Jesus  rejoiced  to  give  up  His  body,  His  soul, 
His  will,  and  His  life  to  the  Father,  saying,  "  i"  delight 
to  do  Thy  will,  0  God ! "  My  clear  friends,  all  you 
want  to  enable  you  to  do  this,  is  to  have  the  love  of 
God  shed  abroad  in  your  hearts  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
which  is  freely  given  to  all  believers.  It  was  Christ's 
love,  His  love  that  passes  knowledge,  which  made  Him 
delight  to  do  God's  will  in  this,  and  in  all  things. 
And  only  love  can  lead  you  to  follow  His  example. 

"  Love  makes  our  willing  feet 
In  swift  obedience  move ; 
And  new  supplies  each  hour  we  meet, 
While  pressing  on  to  God." 

Besides  offering  yourselves  freely,  offer  yourselves 
daily.  Mark,  the  Apostle  Paul  does  not  say,  "  I  be- 
seech you  to  present  yourselves  a  dead  sacrifice/'  but 
"  a  living  sacrifice."  Now,  what  is  this  but  the  daily 
offering  ourselves  up  to  God?  Our  entire  history  as 
Christians  should  be  one  of  self-sacrifice.  Oh,  how  shall  I 
speak  to  you  about  this  !  Selfishness  and  self-sacrifice  ! 
What  two  things  more  unlike  each  other,  and  more  op- 
posed to  each  other  ?  Selfishness  !  why  it  is  the  very 
soul  of  sin  !  Self-sacrifice,  love  !  why  this  is  the  very 
soul  of  righteousness !  Why,  what  is  pride  but  self- 
esteem  ?  What  are  sloth  and  lust  but  self-indulgence  ? 
and  so  on  through  the  long  catalogue  of  our  crimes 


LIVING  SACRIFICES.  93 

Yea.  selfishness  is  the  very  soul  of  misery  as  well  as  of 
sin.  It  is  the  soul  of  discord,  and  strife,  and  envy,  and 
hatred,  and  all  un charitableness ;  whereas,  love  is  the 
soul  of  peace,  and  rest,  and  fulness  of  joy,  and  pleasures 
for  evermore !  My  dear  friends,  the  more  I  think  of 
all  this,  the  more  I  am  amazed  and  confounded  at  my- 
self and  the  world.  Why,  we  have  all  been  acting  as 
if  the  very  opposite  of  this  were  the  case.  What  do 
we  mean  ?  are  we  in  our  senses  ?  I  am  almost  struck 
dumb  with  amazement  and  grief  at  my  own  conduct, 
and  the  conduct  of  all  without  exception  around  me. 
Oh,  the  depths  of  the  deceiifumess  of  Satan !  and  oh, 
the  greater  depths  of  the  deceitfulness  of  all  our  hearts ! 
They  deceive  us — we  are  befooled,  and  misled,  and 
destroyed  by  them.  0  world !  world !  and  0  Chris- 
tians !  Christians  !  and  0  my  heart !  my  heart !  What 
mean  ye?  There  is  the  broad  road  of  self-seeking, 
self-dependence,  self-righteousness,  self-esteem,  and 
self-indulgence !  Down  that  road  go  innumerable 
multitudes ;  but  peace  is  not  there — happiness  is  not 
there — life  is  not  there — honour  is  not  there — glory 
is  not  there.  And  there  is  the  narrow  path  of  self- 
denial,  self-renunciation,  self-forgetfulness,  and  self- 
sacrifice,  and  few  there  be  that  find  it ;  but  peace 
ami  happiness,  life  and  honour,  glory  and  immortality 
have  all  found  it  and  are  there !  and  why  are  we  not 
there  with  them?  Oh,  the  Lord  have  mercy  upon 
and  help  us  !  Look,  I  beseech  you,  look  at  the  ex- 
ample of  Christ !  Was  selfishness  in  Him  ?  Selfish- 
ness !     I  know  not  whether  to  laugh  or  to  weep  at  the 


94  LIVING  SACRIFICES. 

thought  of  such  a  question  !  Selfishness  in  Him  !  Is 
there  darkness  in  God?  Selfishness  in  Him! 
What  say  His  humiliations,  and  temptations,  and 
pains,  and  persecutions,  and  death  in  answer?  Sel- 
fishness in  Him  ?  Did  He  ever  weep  a  tear  for  Him- 
self ?  or  breathe  a  repining  sigh  over  His  own  sorrows  ? 
Were  not  His  tears  and  His  sighs  for  others  ?  Did 
He  not  weep  when  others  wept,  and  rejoice  to  wipe 
away  the  tears  of  others  rather  than  His  own?  Sel- 
fishness in  Him !  Were  not  the  wants  and  miseries  of 
others  the  burden  of  His  prayers  ?  Did  He  not  devote 
all  He  had,  all,  all  down  to  His  dying  prayers,  His  last 
breath,  to  others  ?  Was  not  His  great  life-motto  this, 
"  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive  ? "  Selfish- 
ness in  Him  !  Bethlehem,  and  Nazareth,  and  Olivet, 
and  Gethsemane,  and  Calvary,  all,  all  deny  it !  He 
was  a  living  sacrifice.  He  was  a  whole  burnt-offering. 
He  was  consumed  for  man  upon  the  altar  of  God. 
Did  you  ever  consider  how  completely  Christ  was  given 
up  to  God  during  His  life?  His  words  were  not  His 
own.  He  spoke  His  Father's  words  as  He  said, 
"  The  word  which  ye  hear  is  not  mine,  but  the  Father's 
which  sent  me  ; "  and  again,  "  I  have  given  unto  them 
the  words  which  thou  gavest  me."  His  works  were 
not  His  own.  He  did  His  Father's  works,  as  He  said, 
"  I  must  work  the  works  of  Him  that  sent  me  ;"  and 
again,  "  My  meat  is  to  do  the  will  of  Him  that  sent 
me,  and  to  finish  His  work;"  and  again,  "I  have 
finished  the  work  which  Thou  gavest  me  to  do."  And 
His  will  was  not  His  own.      He  did  His  Father's  will, 


LIVING  SACRIFICES.  9"i 

as  He  said,  "  My  meat  is  to  do  the  will  of  Him  that 
sent  me;"  and  again,  "I  seek  not  mine  own  will,  but 
the  will  of  the  Father  which  hath  sent  me  ;"  and  again, 
u  Not  my  will,  but  Thine  be  done/' 

Oh,  what  a  history  of  self-sacrifice  His  history  is  ! 
— the  history  of  Him,  who,  "  though  He  was  rich  yet  for 
our  sakes  became  poor,  that  we  through  His  poverty 
might  be  rich  ;  " — the  history  of  Him  who  "  thought  it 
not  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God ;  but  made  Himself  of 
no  reputation  ;" — the  history  of  Him  who  though  He 
was  "the  brightness"  of  His  Father's  "glory,"  and  "the 
express  image  of  His  person,"  took  upon  Him  "the  form 
of  a  servant,  and  was  made  in  the  likeness  of  men;" 
— the  history  of  Him  who,  though  "  all  the  angels  of 
God"  worshipped  Him,  "humbled  Himself  and  be- 
came obedient  unto  death  ;" — the  history  of  Him  who, 
though  He  was  "  holy,  harmless,  tm defiled,  and  sepa- 
rate from  sinners,"  "  endured  the  cross ;"  and  who 
though  He  was  "the  mighty  God,  the  everlasting 
Father,  the  Prince  of  Peace,"  was  "made  a  curse  for 
us,"  being  crucified  between  two  malefactors  on  Cal- 
vary! 

Oh,  look  at  Him  who  offered  Himself  a  living  sacri- 
fice to  God  ;  who  gave  up  everything;  who  kept  back 
nothing ;  but  after  pouring  out  His  prayers  for  the 
needy,  and  His  tears  for  the  miserable,  "poured  out 
His  soul  unto  death  "  for  the  sinful,  and  thus  "  gave 
Himself  for  us;"  and  learn,  that  if  any  man  will  be 
His  disciple,  he  must  "  deny  himself,  and  take  up  his 
cross  daily,  and  follow  Him ! "     0  dear  friends  !  this  it 


96  LIVING  BACE1HCE3. 

is  which  the  Apostle  Paul  beseeches  us,  by  the  mercies 
of  God,  to  do.  "  I  beseech  you  therefore,  brethren,  by 
the  mercies  of  God,  that  ye  present  your  bodies  a  living 
sacrifice."  Let  me  try  to  explain  this  still  further,  and 
press  it  still  more  earnestly  upon  you.  When  a  lamb 
was  brought  by  the  Jews  of  old  to  be  offered  in  sacri- 
fice, it  was  first  cleansed,  then  bound,  and  then  burned. 
Now  that  you  may  be  living  sacrifices,  it  is  necessary 
that  you  should  be  daily  cleansed,  daily  bound,  and 
daily  burned.  Now,  I  beseech  you,  seek  to  be  daily 
cleansed.  Remember  that  God  desires  a  pure  sacri- 
fice, and  you  are  daily  being  defiled ;  therefore,  daily 
wash  in  the  fountain  always  open  to  you.  I  know  that 
you  were  cleansed  when  you  were  converted,  but  I  also 
know  that  you  are  not  yet  "  clean  every  whit ; "  you  were 
then  made  new  creatures,  but  not  made  perfect.  Daily, 
then,  go  to  the  mercy  seat,  and  there — oh,  how  shall  I 
say  it ! — there  allow  Christ  to  wash  your  very  feet,  and 
there  present  yourselves  thus  freshly  purified  to  God ! 
And  I  beseech  you  seek  to  be  daily  bound.  Before 
Abraham  lifted  the  knife  to  slay  Isaac,  he  bound  him ; 
and  Isaac  was  a  willing  captive,  he  submitted  to  be 
bound,  and  would  have  consented  to  die  too,  if  such 
had  been  the  will  of  his  father,  and  of  his  God.  In 
all  this  he  was  but  the  type  of  Christ,  who  submitted 
to  be  bound  and  slain  for  our  sakes.  The  solemn 
truth  is,  you  cannot  endure  the  pains  of  a  slow  and 
agonising  death  upon  the  altar  of  God,  unless  you  are 
held  down  to  that  altar  by  the  cords  of  some  mighty 
constraining    influence.     Oh,  be  bound  to  it  by  the 


LIVING  SACRIFICES.  97 

blessed  cords  of  love  !  Let  the  love  of  Christ  constrain 
you.  Judge  thus,  that  "  if  one  died  for  all,  then  were 
all  dead ;  and  He  died  for  all,  that  they  which  live 
.should  not  henceforth  live  unto  themselves,  but  unto 
Him  who  died  for  them,  and  rose  again."  And  when 
the  sinful  desires  of  the  flesh,  and  the  temptations  of 
Satan  lead  you  to  struggle  to  be  free — when  the  flames 
kindling  around  you,  and  consuming  the  old  lusts  of 
your  body  and  spirit,  so  pain  you  as  almost  to  prevail 
with  you  to  flee  and  leave  God's  altar  empty — then,  I 
say,  then  think  of  Christ's  words,  "If  ye  love  me,  keep 
my  commandments ;"  and  yielding  to  the  love  of 
Christ,  it  shall  keep  you  bound  amid  the  flames,  until 
these  "  light  afflictions,  which  endure  but  for  a  moment," 
being  over,  you  inherit  "a  far  more  exceeding  and 
eternal  weight  of  glory."  Ah,  my  friends !  these  are 
the  chains  which  bound  Peter  in  his  dungeon  at  Jeru- 
salem, and  Paul  in  his  prison-house  at  Eome !  these 
are  the  cords  which  have  bound  such  countless  suf- 
ferers to  the  rack,  and  such  innumerable  martyrs  to 
the  stake !  These  were  not  bound  in  prisons  and  dun- 
geons, and  to  racks  and  stakes,  by  the  cords  and  chains 
of  men — nay,  but  by  the  invisible  "  cords  "  of  Divine 
love,  and  the  irresistible  "bands"  of  the  God-man,  Christ 
Jesus  !  "  The  love  of  Christ "  constrained  them,  and 
they  counted  not  their  lives  dear  to  them,  so  that  they 
might  finish  their  course  with  joy,  and  the  ministry  of 
faith,  of  suffering,  and  of  love,  which  they  had  received 
of  the  Lord  Jesus.  Oh  that  we  too  may  be  daily 
bound  by  the  love  of  Christ  to  the  altar !     But  besides 

G 


98  LIVING  SACRIFICES. 

being  daily  cleansed,  and  daily  bound,  we  must  be 
daily  burned.  You  know  what  a  burnt-offering  is ; 
well,  we  must  be  burnt- offerings ;  yea,  if  possible,  like 
Christ,  we  must  be  "  whole  burnt-offerings."  Now  let 
me  beseech  you,  gather  all  you  have,  and  burn  it  all  in 
God's  service.  You  have  possessions — burn  these,  pile 
them  up  high  upon  God's  altar,  and  let  them  flame 
away.  Do  not  throw  them  away  upon  yourself ;  do 
not  waste  them  in  vanities ;  but  burn  them  in  the 
Lord's  service ;  you  understand  me,  spend  them  all  for 
Him.  You  have  time — light  it,  I  beseech  you,  as  it 
sweeps  past  you,  and  let  it  bum  like  a  stream  of  fire  ; 
burn  every  hour  of  it,  and  every  minute  of  it,  in 
the  service  of  God.  You  have  a  body — lay  it  upon  the 
wood ;  there  let  its  strength  and  substance  gradually 
consume  away  to  the  end  of  life  ;  burn  it,  hands,  heart, 
brain,  and  all ;  burn  it  in  God's  service.  You  have  a 
soul — bring  it  to  the  altar;  it  will  burn  better  and 
brighter  than  all  the  rest  put  together ;  there  lay  it 
upon  the  fire  God  has  lighted.  And  when  your  posses- 
sions have  all  been  consumed,  and  nought  is  left  of 
them  but  worthless  ashes — and  when  your  time  has 
burned  down  to  its  latest  hours,  and  its  last  flickering 
moments  are  gone  out — and  when  the  strength  and 
substance  of  your  body  has  been  consumed,  and  the 
feeble  glow  of  its  last  embers  dies  away — then,  from 
amid  the  smouldering  remains  of  your  burnt  sacrifice, 
like  the  angel  Manoah  saw  ascending  out  of  the  flame 
of  fire,  from  the  altar  to  heaven,  shall  your  spirit  go 
burning  upwards  to  God,  thenceforth  to  burn  with 


LIVING  SACRIFICES.  99 

quenchless  and  eternal  glory,  upon  the  high  and  holy 
altar  of  His  everlasting  temple  !  Oh,  this  is  to  be 
living  sacrifices  ! — living  sacrifices! — living  sacrifices! — 
holy  and  acceptable  to  God,  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord! 

And  now,  having  shewn  you  briefly  what  your 
reasonable  service  is,  I  would,  in  conclusion,  "beseech 
you  by  the  mercies  of  God  "  to  perform  it.  The  words 
of  the  apostle  from  which  I  address  you  are  these — 
"I  beseech  you  therefore,  brethren,  by  the  mercies  of 
God,  that  ye  present  your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice, 
holy,  acceptable  unto  God,  which  is  your  reasonable 
service."  Here  Paul  beseeches  you  in  person.  Listen 
to  him.  He  says,  "I  beseech  you/'  It  is  as  if  he 
had  said — "  I,  who  was  once  a  persecutor  and  injuri- 
ous— I,  who  have  been  the  chief  of  sinners — I,  who 
have  been  washed,  and  sanctified,  and  justified,  by 
the  blood  of  Christ  and  the  Spirit  of  God — I,  who 
have  been  called  to  be  an  apostle  of  the  Lord  Jesus — 
I,  who  have  seen  the  Son  of  God — I,  who  have  been 
caught  up  to  Paradise  and  have  heard  there  un- 
speakable words  not  lawful  for  men  to  utter — I,  who 
through  grace  have  laboured  more  abundantly  than 
others,  watching  for  souls  night  and  day  with  prayers 
and  tears — I,  who  through  grace  have  been  made  a 
partaker  of  Christ's  sufferings ;  who  through  the  riches 
of  the  grace  of  God  have  been  shewn  what  it  is  to 
suffer  "great  things"  for  Christ's  name's  sake;  who 
have  suffered  hunger,  thirst,  cold,  and  nakedness ;  who 
have  been  in  weariness,  in  painfulness,  in  watchings 


100  LIVING  SACRIFICES. 

and  in   perils   among  the  heathen,  among  mine  own 
countrymen,    among   robbers,    among   false    brethren, 
in  the  city,  in  the  sea,  in  shipwrecks,  and  in  the  deep  ; 
who  have  been  beaten  with  rods,  imprisoned,  scourged, 
stoned,  hated,  and  counted  the  filth  and  offscouring  of 
all  things — I,  who  count  all  things  but  loss  for  the 
excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  my  Lord 
who  have  suffered  for  Him  whom  I  love  the  loss  of 
all  things,  and  do  count  them  but  dung,  that  I  may 
win  Him,  and  be  found  in  Him,  and  know  Him,  and 
know  the   mighty  power   and   the  blessed  fellowship 
of    His    sufferings,    death,    and   resurrection — I,   who 
count  not  my  life  dear  unto  me  so  that  I  may  finish 
my  course  with  joy,  and  the  ministry  I  have  received 
of  the  Lord  Jesus ;  who  look  and  long  for  the  glorious 
appearing  of   the  great  God  and  our  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ ;  who  desire  to  depart  and  be  with  Christ  which 
is  far  better,  and  who  wait  for  the  blessed  hope  of 
Christ's  coming,  who  shall  change  my  vile  body  that 
it  may  be  fashioned  like  unto  His  glorious  body,  and 
shall  reunite  me  to  those  I  have  loved  and  mourned 
for,  who  have  gone  before,  and  shall  change  my  robe 
of  sackcloth  for  garments  of  glory,  and  my  crown  of 
shame  and  of  contempt  for  a  crown  of  martyrdom, 
and  a  crown  of  righteousness,  and  a  crown  of  exceed- 
ing and  eternal  joy — I,  your  brother,  your  friend,  your 
father,  your  servant  for  Christ's  sake,  who  will  gladly 
spend  and  be  spent  for  you  all,  who  watch  for  your 
souls  as  one  who  must  give  an  account,  who  sorrow 
when  you  sorrow,  who  rejoice  when  you  rejoice,  who 


LIVING  SACRIFICES.  101 

weep  when  you  weep,  who  love  you  more  than  tongue 
can  tell,  who  pray  for  you  without  ceasing,  and  who 
count  you  my  joy  and  crown  of  rejoicing  in  the  day 
of  Jesus  Christ ; — I,  Paul,  beseech  you,  '  by  the  mercies 
of  God,  that  ye  present  your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice, 
holy,  acceptable  to  God,  which  is  your  reasonable 
service  ! ' '      0  brethren,  what  an  appeal ! 

It  is  an  appeal  from  the  a]  tar  of  God — it  is  an 
appeal  from  one  who  was  himself,  through  the  riches 
of  the  grace  of  God,  a  living  sacrifice — it  is  an  appeal 
from  a  man  of  like  passions  with  ourselves,  who 
laboured  and  suffered  for  Christ,  perhaps,  more  than 
any  other  sin-forgiven  man  ever  laboured  and  suffered 
either  before  or  since ;  and  who  addresses  us  as 
brethren,  as  his  brethren  in  the  Lord,  his  flesh  and 
blood  in  Christ  Jesus ;  and  who  beseeching,  not  com- 
manding, not  even  exhorting,  but  beseeching  us  by 
the  mercies  of  God,  prays  us  to  present  ourselves  a 
living  sacrifice  to  God.  Oh,  let  me  beseech  you  to 
listen  to  this  appeal !  What !  was  this  man  a  mad 
enthusiast  ?  Oh,  holy  madness  !  oh,  heavenly  enthusi- 
asm! would  to  God  we  were  all  such  madmen  and 
enthusiasts!  Oh,  where  upon  the  face  of  the  earth 
is  this  high,  holy,  noble  Christianity?  Where  upon 
the  face  of  the  earth  are  there  to  be  found  such 
self-denying,  self-forgetful,  heavenly  enthusiasts,  at  the 
present  day?  Brethren,  though  we  may  not  have 
met  them,  I  believe  the  Lord  has  His  seven  thousand 
hid,  who  have  never  bowed  the  knee  to  Baal!  I 
believe  He  has  His  seven  thousand  hid,  who,  though 


102  LIVING  SACEIFICES. 

in  labours  and  in  sufferings  less  abundant  than  the 
blessed  Apostle  Paul,  are,  nevertheless,  bound  to  His 
altar  as  living  sacrifices  !  May  there  soon  be  seven 
thousand  times  seven  thousand !  Yes,  and  may  we 
be  numbered  with  them !  0  dear  brethren !  it  is 
the  voice  of  God,  through  Paul  His  servant,  that  calls 
you  to  this — come,  then,  let  us  obey,  and  let  none  of 
us  henceforth  live  to  himself,  but  to  the  Lord,  that 
whether  we  live  or  die  we  may  be  the  Lord's. 

And  now,  let  me  ask  you,  did  you  ever  observe  the 
word  "therefore"  in  the  text?  Did  you  ever  feel  the 
force  of  it  ?  Paul  might  have  said,  "  I  beseech  you, 
brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God,"  but,  instead  of  this, 
he  says,  "I  beseech  you,  therefore,  brethren,  by  the 
mercies  of  God."  Does  not  that  word  "therefore" 
link  this  verse  to  the  eleventh,  tenth,  ninth,  and 
eighth  chapters,  in  fact  to  every  one  of  the  first 
eleven  chapters  of  the  Epistle?  And  are  not  the 
mercies  of  God  which  he  pleads  with  us,  the  mercies 
of  which  he  speaks  to  us  through  the  whole  of  the 
first  eleven  chapters  ?  First,  Paul  preaches  to  us  our 
sin  and  ruin,  and  then  the  grace  of  God,  and  our 
full,  and  free,  and  everlasting  salvation ;  and  then,  by 
these  mercies — these  which  he  proclaims — beseeches 
us  to  give  ourselves  to  God. 

Let  us  look  back,  dear  friends,  through  the  Epistle, 
for  the  mercies  of  which  he  speaks.  First,  mark  how 
he  points  out  our  sin  and  ruin.  "There  is  none 
righteous,  no,  not  one ;  there  is  none  that  understand- 
eth,  there  is  none  that  seeketh  after  God.    They  are 


LIVING  SACRIFICES.  103 

all  gone  out  of  the  way,  they  are  together  become 
unprofitable ;  there  is  none  that  doeth  good,  no,  not 
one.  Destruction  and  misery  are  in  their  ways :  and 
the  way  of  peace  have  they  not  known :  there  is  no 
fear  of  God  before  their  eyes."  Thus,  "every  mouth 
is  stopped,"  and  all  the  world  becomes  "guilty  before 
God."  Read  the  first,  second,  and  third  chapters, 
and  you  will  see  how  he  lays  these  things  before  us 
in  the  most  solemn  manner. 

Having  done  so,  he  now  unfolds  the  mystery  of  our 
salvation  through  the  riches  of  the  grace  of  God.  He 
shews  us  that  "we  are  justified  freely  by  God's  grace, 
through  the  redemption  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus — that 
we  are  justified  by  faith  without  the  deeds  of  the  law 
— that  our  iniquities  are  forgiven,  our  sins  covered, 
and  our  sins  no  more  imputed  to  us — that,  being 
justified  by  Christ's  blood,  we  shall  be  saved  from 
wrath  through  Him — that,  receiving  abundance  of 
grace,  and  of  the  gift  of  righteousness,  we  shall  reign 
in  life  by  Him — that,  where  our  sin  abounded,  God's 
grace  doth  much  more  abound — that  grace  reigns  in  us, 
through  righteousness  unto  eternal  life,  by  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord — that  we  are  dead  unto  sin  and  alive  unto 
God,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord — that  sin  shall  not 
have  dominion  over  us — that  we  are  servants  of  right- 
eousness— that  there  is  now  no  condemnation  to  us, 
we  being  in  Christ  Jesus — that  we  are  freed  from  the 
law  of  sin  and  death — that  the  righteousness  of  the 
law  is  fulfilled  in  us — that  we  are  not  in  the  flesh 
but  in  the  Spirit — that  the  Spirit  of   God  dwells  in 


104  LIVING  SACRIFICES. 

us — that  Christ  is  in  us — that  our  bodies  are  dead 
because  of  sin — that  our  bodies  shall  yet  be  quickened 
by  the  indwelling  Spirit — that  we  are  led  by  the 
Spirit  of  God — that  we  have  received  the  Spirit  of 
adoj:>tion,  whereby  we  ery  Abba,  Father — that  the 
Spirit  bears  witness  with  our  spirits  that  we  are 
children  of  God,  that  we  are  heirs  of  God,  that  we 
are  joint-heirs  with  Christ,  that  we  shall  be  glorified 
with  Christ — that  our  present  sufferings  are  not  worthy 
to  be  compared  with  our  future  glory — that  we  shall 
be  delivered  from  the  bondage  of  corruption  into  the 
glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of  God — that  the  Spirit 
helps  our  infirmities — that  the  Spirit  makes  interces- 
sion for  us  with  groanings  which  cannot  be  uttered — 
that  God,  who  searches  the  hearts,  knows  what  is  the 
mind  of  the  Spirit,  because  He  makes  intercession  for 
us  according  to  His  will — that  all  things  work  together 
for  our  good — that,  having  foreknown,  and  predesti- 
nated, and  called,  and  justified  us,  God  will  also  glorify 
us — that  none  can  be  against  us — that,  haying  given 
Christ  for  us,  God  will,  with  Him,  freely  give  us  all 
things — that  none  shall  lay  anything  to  our  charge — 
that  it  is  God  who  justifies  us — that  none  can  condemn 
us — that  Christ  makes  intercession  for  us — that  none 
shall  separate  us  from  the  love  of  Christ — that,  amid 
tribulation,  distress,  persecution,  famine,  nakedness, 
peril,  sword,  and  slaughter,  we  are  more  than  con- 
querors through  Him  that  loved  us — that  neither 
death,  life,  angels,  principalities,  powers,  things  present, 
things  to  come,  height,  depth,  nor  any  other  creature, 


LIVING  SACRIFICES.  105 

shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from  the  love  of  God, 
which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord — that  God  has 
made  known  the  riches  of  His  glory  on  us,  the  vessels 
of  mercy  which  He  had  afore  prepared  unto  glory — 
that  God  calls  us  beloved — that  we  are  called  the 
children  of  the  living  God — and  that  the  gifts  and 
calling  of  God  are  without  repentance  ; " — and  then, 
in  an  ecstasy  of  holy  and  heavenly  enthusiasm,  filled 
with  the  Spirit  of  the  Most  High  God,  uplifted  and 
carried  away  with  wonder  and  admiration,  unable 
any  longer  to  restrain  the  swelling  flood  of  love,  and 
joy,  and  gratitude,  and  adoration,  he  pours  out  the 
mighty  utterance — "  0  the  depth  of  the  riches  both 
of  the  wisdom  and  knowledge  of  God !  how  unsearch- 
able are  his  judgments,  and  his  ways  past  finding 
out !  For  who  hath  known  the  mind  of  the  Lord  ? 
or  who  hath  been  his  counsellor?  or  who  hath  first 
given  to  him,  and  it  shall  be  recompensed  to  him 
again?  For  of  him,  and  through  him,  and  to  him, 
are  all  things  :  to  tuhom  be  glory  for  ever  ! " 

And  now  that  the  Apostle  Paul  has,  as  it  were,  carried 
you  away  unto  an  exceeding  high  mountain,  and  shewn 
you  from  its  summit  all  the  kingdom  of  grace,  and  the 
glory  of  it — now  that  he  has,  as  it  were,  bid  you  look 
round  upon  the  entire  scene,  and  said  to  you,  "Behold 
there  in  the  distance  the  everlasting  hills  of  this  kino-- 
dom's  decrees  and  covenants  !  Behold  yonder  the  un- 
fathomable mines  of  its  deep  counsels !  Behold  here 
winding  through  the  midst  the  pure  and  shining  rivers 
of  its  peace !     Behold  there  the  bright  and  holy  city  of 


106  LIVING  SACRIFICES. 

this  kingdom's  inhabitants  !  Look  at  all  this !  Mark 
the  brightness,  and  the  peacefulness,  and  the  holy 
glory  of  the  broad  and  everlasting  kingdom  of  the 
grace  of  God  !  Lo  !  all  is  yours  !  and  ye  are  Christ's  ! 
and  Christ  is  God's  !  "  Now  that  he  has,  as  it  were, 
thus  spoken,  he  turns  to  you,  and  with  a  look  of  ear- 
nest tender  love,  laying  his  hand  gently  upon  you,  he 
says,  "  I  have  a  request  to  make — I  wish  to  ask  you 
for  something — not  for  myself,  but  for  another — for 
God  ;  see  what  God  has  given  you !  He  has  given  you 
His  salvation !  Look  at  all  these !  These  are  the 
mercies  of  God  !  and  He  has  given  them  to  you !  I 
beseech  you  therefore,  brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God, 
that  ye  present  your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  ac- 
ceptable to  God,  which  is  your  reasonable  service  !  " 

Ah,  dear  brethren,  I  know  not  what  to  add  to  this. 
If  the  sight  of  God's  mercies,  and  such  a  sight  as  that 
which  the  Apostle  Paul  gives  you  in  the  first  eleven 
chapters  of  his  Epistle  to  the  Romans — if  this  will  not 
move  you  to  present  yourselves  living  sacrifices  to  God, 
no  words  of  mine,  I  fear,  would  be  of  any  avail  to  lead 
you  to  do  it.  Let  me  most  humbly  ask,  yea,  let  me 
affectionately  beseech  you  to  look  again  at  the  long  and 
glorious  pathway  of  mercies,  at  the  vast  and  holy 
temple  of  mercies,  at  the  broad  and  shining  sea  of 
mercies,  at  the  unmeasured  and  eternal  kingdom  of 
mercies,  which  he  describes  in  these  inspired  pages! 
Look  again  and  again  at  "the  mercies  of  God!"  If 
you  are  unwilling  to  turn  just  now  to  the  Bible,  that 
you  may  read  of  them  there  in  the  chapters  I  refer  to, 


LIVING  SACRIFICES.  107 

then  look  back  to  the  few  which  I  have  mentioned, 
read  them  over  slowly  and  ponder  them — think,  oh 
think,  these  things  are  real !  are  no  cunningly  devised 
fables  ;  but  are  the  things  of  God,  and  the  things  which 
make  for  your  peace ;  and  having  considered  them,  and 
wondered  at  them,  and  loved,  and  thanked  God  for  them, 
come  to  the  resolve,  the  solemn  prayerful  resolve,  that 
from  this  day,  henceforth,  -until  God  calls  you  away  to 
your  eternal  home,  you  will  strive  to  be  living  sacrifices 
■ — to  be  daily,  in  all  things,  on  to  your  dying  hours,  yea, 
up  to  the  very  gates  of  heaven,  living  sacrifices,  God 
helping  you — living  sacrifices,  holy,  acceptable  to  God, 
through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

If  any  of  you  have  made  the  resolve  to  present  your- 
selves to  God  as  living  sacrifices,  I  would  now  shew 
you  something  in  the  text  which  will  encourage  you  to 
keep  that  resolve.  The  text  declares  that  this  holy 
and  living  sacrifice  is  "  acceptable  to  God"  Now,  my 
dear  friends,  for  a  moment  or  two  think  of  the  meaning 
of  these  words.  I  believe  that  many  of  you  have  only 
looked  at  one  side  of  the  text.  You  have  examined 
the  side  that  turns  towards  man ;  now  look  at  the 
other  side  that  turns  towards  God.  I  believe  the  view 
that  many  of  you  have  of  the  whole  thing  is  just  this. 
You  see  the  altar,  you  see  the  wood  upon  it.  You  see 
the  cords  for  binding  the  sacrifice.  You  see  the  fire 
for  burning  it.  You  see  the  sacrifice  that  is  to  be 
offered.  Yea,  you  even  see  the  sacrifice  laid  on  the 
wood,  bound  with  cords,  and  burned.  But  that  is  all 
you  see.     Lift  up  your  eyes,  then,  and  look  beyond  the 


108  LIVING  SACRIFICES. 

altar  at  the  temple !  The  altar  of  burnt-offerings  is 
but  a  small  part  of  the  temple.  It  stands  in  the  out- 
side court.  Why  stand  gazing  at  that  altar?  Look 
into  the  temple  !'  Behold  the  holy  place,  with  its  bread, 
and  light,  and  incense  !  and  look  through  the  torn  veil 
into  the  most  holy  place,  with  its  mercy-seat,  and  great 
High  Priest,  and  everlasting  glory  !  This  is  the  sanc- 
tuary and  dwelling-place  of  God  I  While  you  stand 
therefore,  offering  your  sacrifice  upon  the  altar  in  the 
outer  court,  let  your  thoughts  rise  to  Him  who  sits 
upon  the  mercy-seat,  in  the  most  holy  place,  accepting 
it!  And  that  you  may  understand  what  God's  thoughts 
are  about  your  sacrifice,  and  know  how  acceptable  it  is 
to  Him,  turn  to  His  own  Word,  and  read  what  He  has 
said  about  it.  Let  us  look  into  His  Word,  and  see. 
Does  He  bid  you  offer  your  body?  What  says  the 
Bible  about  that  body  ?  It  says,  it  is  "  bought  with  a 
price  " — a  "  member  of  Christ  " — and  a  "  temple  of  the 
Holy  Ghost."  It  says  the  body  is  "  for  the  Lord/'  the 
Lord  is  "  for  the  body " — and  the  body  is  "  God's." 
Offer  it,  then,  a  holy  sacrifice,  and  it  will  be  acceptable  to 
God.  Does  He  command  you  to  offer  both  body  and 
spirit  ?  What  says  the  Bible  about  this  ?  It  would 
have  you  cleansed  "  from  all  filthiness  of  the  flesh  and 
spirit " — "  holy  both  in  body  and  spirit  " — and  glorify- 
ing God  "  in  your  body  and  in  your  spirit,  which  are 
God's "  —  for  it  says,  "  ye  are  not  your  own/'  but 
"  God's."  Offer,  then,  your  body  and  your  spirit ! 
Enoch,  the  seventh  from  Adam,  offered  himself  thus  to 
God,  and  obtained  this  testimony,  that  "he  pleased  God." 


LIVING  SACRIFICES.  109 

Abraham,  the  father  of  the  faithful,  offered  his  son 
Isaac  thus  to  God,  and  obtained  this  blessing,  "  Because 
thou  hast  done  this  thing,  and  hast  not  withheld  thy  son, 
thine  only  son,  in  blessing  I  will  bless  thee,  and  in  thy 
seed  shall  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed." 
And  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  offered  Himself 
upon  this  altar  as  a  living  sacrifice,  saying,  "  In  burnt - 
offerings  and  sacrifices  for  sin  thou  hast  had  no  plea- 
sure ;  lo,  I  come  to  do  Thy  will,  0  God ! "  and  ob- 
tained this  testimony  from  God,  "  This  is  my  beloved 
Son,  in  whom  I  am  ivell  pleased."  You  may  then 
rely  upon  it,  that  "  with  such  sacrifices  " — sacrifices 
sanctified  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  presented  in  the 
name  of  Jesus — "  God  is  well  'pleased'3 

I  leave  you  then,  earnestly  and  affectionately  be- 
seeching you,  "  by  the  mercies  of  God,  that  ye  present 
your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  to  God, 
which  is  your  reasonable  service/'  Let  us  lift  up  our 
souls  to  the  Lord  and  say — 

"  Thine,  wholly  Thine  we  want  to  be — 
Our  sacrifice  receive ; 
Made,  and  preserved,  and  saved  by  Thee, 
To  Thee  ourselves  we  give. 

Come,  Holy  Ghost !  the  Saviour's  love 

Shed  in  our  hearts  abroad ; 
So  shall  we  ever  live,  and  move, 

And  be  with  Christ  in  God." 

Let  me,  before  concluding,  say  a  few  words  to  those 
of  you  who  are  unconverted.  Let  me  tell  you,  solemnly, 
that  you  are  already  living  sacrifices.     I  do  not  mean 


110  LIVING  SACRIFICES. 

to  say  that  you  are  such  as  Paul  describes,  but  to  say 
that  you  are  sacrifices  bound  alive  to  Satan's  altar. 
You  understand  me.  You  are  unconverted,  and  there- 
fore servants  of  sin,  and  children  and  slaves  of  Satan. 
Now,  I  have  something  most  solemn  to  say  to  you. 
You  know  that  salvation  from  the  service  of  sin,  and 
the  bondage  of  Satan,  and  the  curse  of  God,  that  sal- 
vation unto  life  eternal,  has  been  obtained  by  the  Lord 
Jesus  for  all  who  trust  in  Him.  You  know  also  that  this 
salvation  has  been  offered  to  you  in  the  gospel ;  and  you 
know,  besides  this,  that  you  have  rejected  it.  Some  of 
you  have  halted  between  two  opinions,  and  have  thus 
rejected  it ;  some  of  you  have  driven  the  thoughts  of 
death,  judgment,  and  hell  out  of  your  minds,  and  have 
thus  rejected  it ;  and  some  of  you  have  put  off  repenting 
and  coming  to  Christ  to  a  future  hour,  and  have  thus 
rejected  it.  I  have  then  something  most  solemn  to 
say  to  you  before  we  part.  It  is  this.  If  you  continue 
a  little  longer  in  your  present  state — if  you  continue 
to  halt,  or  continue  to  drown  your  convictions,  or  con- 
tinue to  procrastinate  just  a  little  longer,  till  your  short 
hour  of  life  is  over,  and  you  have  passed  into  that 
awful  eternity  which  is  before  you — the  consequences 
must  be  these :  against  your  will,  God  shall  take  you 
who  refused  to  be  living  sacrifices  upon  His  altar  of 
mercy,  and  shall  bind  you  as  living  sacrifices  to  His 
altar  of  justice.  You  would  not  burn  as  willing  sacri- 
fices upon  the  altar  of  grace — now  you  must  burn  as 
unwilling  sacrifices  upon  the  altar  of  law;  and  let 
me  tell  you,  as  one  who  believes  that  he  shall  give 


LIVING  SACRIFICES.  1 1 1 

account  of  himself  to  God, — let  me  tell  you  as  one 
who  can  feci  for  you,  because  he  was  once  in  your  con- 
dition, but  has  been  plucked  as  a  brand  from  the 
burning — oh,  let  me  tell  you  that  there,  on  that  altar, 
the  worm  dieth  not,  and  there  the  fire  is  not  quenched. 
Oh,  "  it  is  a  fearful  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
living  God  !"  I  warn  you  that  if  you  continue  in  your 
present  state  a  little  longer,  until  death,  like  a  thief  in 
the  night,  steals  silently  upon  you,  and  carries  you 
away  into  eternity,  God  shall  cast  you  into  the  lake  of 
fire  which  He  has  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels, 
that  you  may  there  burn  amid  the  flames  upon  the 
everlasting  altar  of  His  just  and  fearful  vengeance. 
There,  bound  down  with  chains,  in  the  deep  pit  of 
hell,  must  you  burn  amid  the  flames,  as  awful  sacrifices 
to  the  broken  law  of  God — the  smoke  of  your  torment, 
in  dark  clouds  of  dreadful  incense,  slowly  ascending 
from  the  pit  of  hell,  for  ever  and  ever.  For  "  God  is 
a  consuming  fire."  Oh  that  you  may  now  flee  from 
the  wrath  to  come,  to  the  only  refuge  for  sinners! 
Whoever  you  are,  I  would  say  to  you,  "  This  is  a  faith- 
ful saying,  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that  Jesus 
Christ  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners,  of  whom  I 
am  chief ! " — "  0  Sinners  !  "  Flee  to  Jesus  ! 

u  In  vain  we  seek  for  peace  with  God 
By  methods  of  our  own ; 
Jesus !   there 's  nothing  but  Thy  blood 
Can  bring  us  near  the  throne." 


SEEMON  VL 


REFUGES  OP  LIES. 


Isaiah  xxviii.  17. 


"Judgment  also  will  I  lay  to  the  line,  and  righteousness  to  the 
plummet :  and  the  hail  shall  sweep  away  the  refuge  of  lies,  and 
the  waters  shall  overflow  the  hiding-place." 

The  words  of  the  text  are  these — "  And  the  hail  shall 
sweep  away  the  refuge  of  lies." 

A  traveller  was  once  crossing  a  broad  barren  moor, 
towards  sun-down.  From  time  to  time,  as  he  hastened 
on  his  way,  he  turned  to  watch  the  clouds  that  were 
gathering  behind  him  in  the  heavens,  telling  of  an  ap- 
proaching storm.  The  wind  soon  began  to  rise ;  the 
night  darkened,  and  as  he  fled  for  shelter,  he  saw  be- 
fore him  a  hut  into  which  he  crept.  Anon,  the  wind 
and  hail  beat  upon  the  roof  of  his  refuge,  tore  it  up, 
and  swept  it  over  his  head.  He  arose,  and  fled 
affrighted  before  the  tempest :  for  a  while  he  seemed 
in  a  fair  way  to  escape,  but  overtaken  by  a  forked 
flash  of  lightning,  he  fell  in  the  wilderness,  a  black- 
ened corpse. 


REFUGES  OF  LIES.  113 

This  is  a  picture  —  behold  the  original  —  Adam 
sinned ;  the  clouds  gathered  over  his  head ;  darkness 
descended ;  he  fled  from  the  wrath  of  God.  "  Fear 
not/'  said  Satan,  "  thou  shalt  not  surely  die ! "  Be- 
hind this,  Adam  sought  to  hide  himself.  Then  came 
God,  and  with  the  hail  of  vengeance  swept  away  this 
refuge  of  lies,  and  smote  the  man  with  death. 

Now  it  is  certain  that  from  the  time  of  Adam, 
down  to  the  present  day,  thousands  and  thousands 
have  taken  refuse  from  the  threateninos  of  God's 
wrath,  beneath  the  lies  of  the  Evil  One  ;  and  to-night 
I  want  to  expose  to  those  of  you  who  are  hiding 
from  God,  some  of  these  refuges,  for  fear  death  should 
come  upon  you  unawares,  and  your  souls  should 
perish  in  hell. 

I.  Now,  let  me  ask  you,  in  the  first  place,  Are 
your  sins  forgiven  ?  There  are  many  of  you  who 
know  your  sins  are  not  forgiven.  Are  you  prepared 
to  die?  There  are  many  of  you  who  have  to  say, 
"I  could  not  lie  down  to-night  and  die  in  peace." 
Now,  let  me  ask,  what  are  you  listening  to  me  for? 
You  say,  "To  learn  the  way  to  be  saved."  I  answer, 
"Believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  you  shall  be 
saved."  "Ah!"  you  say,  "I  believe  in  Election." 
Well,  what  has  that  to  say  to  the  matter?  I  said, 
believe  in  Jesus.  You  answer,  "  It  is  not  of  him  that 
willeth,  nor  of  him  that  runneth,  but  of  God  that 
sheweth  mercy/' 

Will  you  tell  me  what  you  mean  in  your  heart 
by  quoting  that  text?     "Well,"  you  say,  "if  I  am 

H 


114s  KEFUGES  OF  LIES. 

elect  I  shall  be  saved,  do  what  I  may ;  but  if  I  am 
not  elect  I  must  be  damned,  do  what  I  will ;  and, 
therefore,  there  is  no  use  in  my  trying  to  do  anything." 
Let  me  tell  you  earnestly,  that  this  is  a  "refuge  of 
lies/'  and  that  if  you  hide  in  it  much  longer,  God  shall 
sweep  it  away  with  the  hail  of  judgment. 

Now,  do  not  mistake  me ;  I  do  not  wage  war  with 
the  doctrine  of  Election,  but  rather  with  your  manner 
of  holding  it.  I  believe  the  doctrine  of  Election  runs 
like  a  golden  thread  through  the  silver  tissue  of  the 
Word  of  God,  and  it  is  impossible  to  tear  it  out, 
without  rending  asunder  the  very  texture  of  ever- 
lasting truth.  It  is  no  dark  doctrine  to  me,  with 
a  curse  bound  to  its  back;  but  it  shines  before  me 
as  the  first  sweet  ray  of  light  that  came  down  from 
God  into  this  black  abyss  of  our  ruin. 

Election  is  not  iron  fate,  but  unutterable  love. 
I  confess  I  admit  it — and  I  cannot  but  do  so — it 
is  as  plainly  to  me  in  the  Bible,  as  the  doctrine  of  re- 
demption. First,  I  cannot  but  see  that  God  is  every- 
thing in  the  salvation  of  all  those  who  reach  heaven — 
and  secondly,  I  cannot  but  see  that  He  intended 
this  from  all  eternity, — and  this  is,  of  course,  Election. 
I  learn  from  the  eighth  of  Eomans  that  Election  is 
the  first  link  in  the  great  chain  of  salvation  reaching 
from  heaven  to  earth,  and  that  if  you  break  that 
link  all  the  rest  fall  to  the  ground ;  no  Election — 
then  no  calling,  no  justification,  no  sanctification 
and  no  glory.  But  oh,  my  friends,  do  not  distort 
this   doctrine   to  your  own   damnation!     Now   look 


EEFUGES  OF  LIES.  115 

into  the  matter,  and  you  will  find  that  Election  is 
not  exclusive,  but  inclusive ;  in  plain  English,  that 
it  shuts  none  out,  while  it  shuts  many  in.  Now 
mark :  Scripture  represents  Election  as  making  the 
salvation  of  many  certain ;  but  does  not  represent 
it  as  putting  an  impossibility,  as  a  bar,  in  the  way 
of  any  one's  salvation.  Election  has  made  many 
saints,  but  no  reprobates.  Election  only  saves — only 
sin  destroys.  But  even  if  it  was  as  you  say,  you  have 
no  right  to  act  as  you  do :  for  to  sit  still  in  indecision 
is  to  commit  suicide.  Sleep  on  to  the  end  of  life,  and 
you  must  wake  in  hell. 

But  why  should  I  reason  with  you  thus  ?  Tell  me, 
do  you  act  in  this  manner  about  carnal  things  ? 

A  friend  invites  you  to  dinner ;  the  table  is  spread 
before  you.  You  are  asked  to  sit  down.  "Stop," 
you  say,  "does  not  God  know  everything?"  "Yes/' 
says  your  friend.  "Well,"  you  say,  "God  knows 
whether  I  shall  eat  this  food  or  not :  so  it's  all  fixed, 
and  I  can't  alter  it ;  and  if  I  am  not  to  eat  that 
dinner,  I  cannot  eat  it,  even  though  I  were  to  try  to 
eat  it :  whereas,  if  I  am  to  eat  it,  I  must  eat  it,  even 
though  I  were  to  rise  and  leave  the  room  and  try  to 
go  without  it;  and,  therefore,  I  will  sit  still  and  do 
nothing."  Would  you  reason  thus  ?  And  oh,  if  you 
would  not,  why  say,  when  God  lays  the  "Bread  of 
Life  "  before  you,  and  freely  offers  you  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  to  feed  your  perishing  soul — why  say,  "  If  I 
am  to  eat  of  the  Bread  of  Life,  I  must,  do  what 
I  may;  if  I  am  not  to  partake  of  it,  I  cannot,  do 


116  REFUGES  OF  LIES. 

what  I  will ;  and,  therefore,  I  will  sit  still  and  do 
nothing?" 

Were  you  lying  on  a  bed  of  sickness,  in  the  dark- 
ness of  the  shadow  of  death,  and  medicine  offered  to 
you,  having  the  certain  power  to  cure  you,  would 
you  say,  "  If  I  am  to  live,  I  shall  live,  and  if  I  am  to 
die,  your  medicine  will  make  no  difference ;  so  take 
it  away  and  leave  me  ?"  Ah  no  !  And  why  then 
say — when  the  good  physician,  Jesus,  offers  the  only 
medicine  that  can  cure  your  soul's  disease,  and  save 
you  from  death  eternal — "  If  I  am  elect,  I  shall  be 
saved,  do  what  I  may,  and  if  I  am  not  elect,  I  shall  be 
damned,  do  what  I  will."  If  Christ  does  not  really 
offer  to  save  you,  I  have  nothing  further  to  say — but 
you  admit  He  does.  If  your  present  refuge  about 
Election  is  not  the  gate  of  hell,  I  have  nothing  further 
to  say — but  you  admit  that  to  die  in  your  present 
state  is  to  be  damned.  Oh,  why,  then,  linger  there ! 
Oh,  forsake  it,  and  escape  for  life  to  Jesus !  for, 
most  surely,  "the  hail  shall  sweep  away  this  refuge 
of  lies,  and  the  waters  overflow  this  hiding-place/' 

II.  I  now  pass  on  to  speak  to  others  here,  who  are 
not  prepared  for  death  and  judgment.  Let  me  once 
more  ask  the  question,  "  What  are  you  trusting  in  V 
Some  one  answers,  "  I  trust  in  the  mercy  of  God." 
Now  permit  me  to  say,  if  that  is  all  your  trust,  it  is  "a 
refuge  of  lies."  You  answer,  "  Is  not  God  merciful  ?" 
More  merciful  than  you  can  conceive ;  but  it  will  not 
do  to  trust  in  the  mere  mercy  of  God.  So  rich  is  God 
in  mercy,  that  though  He  has  been  giving  it  away  daily 


REFUGES  OF  LIES.  117 

to  millions  of  men,  for  ages,  He  lias  stores  of  it  still 
untouched,  which  nothing  can  exhaust.  If  you  come  to 
Him  and  say,  "  0  my  God  !  hast  Thou  mercy  for  me  ? " 
God  will  answer,  "  I  am  He  that  keepeth — keepetli 
— keepeth,  mercy  for  thousands  ! "  and  "  him  that 
cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out."  But  beware 
how  you  trust  for  salvation  merely  in  God's  mercy.  A 
man  is  pursued  by  foes,  and  a  friend  offers  to  shelter 
him  inside  his  strong  tower.  But  he  refuses  to  enter, 
and  stands  outside  talking  of  his  safety.  You  cry  to 
him,  "  Your  enemies  are  coming,  why  do  you  not  take 
refuge?"  "I  trust  in  this  tower,"  says  he.  But  you 
answer,  "  The  tower  is  no  refuge  to  you,  until  you  are 
inside."  Just  so  you  say,  "  I  trust  in  the  mercy  of 
God."  I  tell  you,  God's  mercy  will  not  save  you 
till  you  are  inside  the  tower  of  refuge,  Christ  Jesus. 
Make  haste  to  be  found  "  in  Christ,"  where  none  can 
touch  you — once  there,  you  can  say,  "  If  God  be  for  us, 
who  can  be  against  us?"  While  you  are  unpardoned 
you  are  unsafe.  For  know  that  God  is  just  as  well  as 
merciful — so  just,  that  "  He  will  by  no  means  clear  the 
guilty  " — and  will  pay  to  such  "  the  wages  "  of  their 
sins,  unto  the  uttermost  farthing. 

I  believe  that  this  lie  is  the  soft  pillow  on  which 
thousands  are  sleeping  out  their  golden  hours  of  hope 
till  the  day  of  judgment.  0  brethren  !  0  my  friends: 
God  is  so  just,  that  He  could  not  save  a  single  sinner, 
without  punishing  his  iniquities  in  the  person  of  the  in- 
nocent Jesus  ;  and  though  the  life  of  Jesus  were  worth 
ten  thousand  times  as  much  as  the  souls  of  all  the  world 


118  REFUGES  OF  LIES. 

together,  if  God  just  wished  to  save  one  single  sinner 
out  of  all  that  world — one  out  of  the  whole — He  could 
not  save  that  single  sinner — nay  more,  He  could  not 
forgive  the  smallest  sin  that  sinner  ever  committed 
without  j)ouring  out  to  death  the  heart's  blood  of  His 
precious  Son ! — So  just  is  God.  Never,  then,  dream 
that  God's  mercy  will  lead  Him  to  save  you,  unless  your 
sins  are  washed  away  in  the  blood  of  Jesus.  Oh,  put 
your  trust  in  the  Redeemer,  and  having  trusted  in  Him 
you  can  stand  before  the  assembled  universe,  spotless, 
white,  and  clothed  in  His  lovely  robe  of  everlasting 
righteousness ! 

III.  I  now  turn  to  others  of  you,  who  answer  my 
question,  "  Are  you  prepared  for  judgment  ?"  by  saying 
"  We  do  the  best  we  can."  Now,  let  none  of  you  think 
me  exaggerating  when  I  say  that  I  have  seen  multi- 
tudes who  flatter  themselves  with  this  miserable  hope ; 
and  that  in  the  day  of  judgment  the  hail  shall  sweep  it 
away  from  covering,  as  a  lying  refuge,  the  heads  of 
millions  of  such  miserable  sinners.  What !  You  do 
the  best  you  can  ?  Then  you  are  safe.  If  you  really 
have  done  the  best  you  could  to  this  present  hour,  you 
are  this  moment  as  safe  as  the  angel  Gabriel.  But  do 
you  feel  so  ?  Have  you  no  fear  of  death  and  hell  ? 
You  dare  not  say  so — but  if  you  are  without  sin,  you 
should  be  without  fear.  But  stay  ;  will  you  solemnly 
declare  that  you  have  never  sinned? — "Will  you? — Ah 
no  !  God  has  never  given  you  a  commandment  which 
you  have  not  broken  either  in  heart  or  in  life,  or  in 
both  heart  and  life ;  and,  seeing  this  is  so,  can  you  ever 


REFUGES  OF  LIES.  119 

say  again,  "  I  do  the  best  I  can  V  Oh,  how  blind  and 
stiffneeked  the  pride  of  man  is !  When  will  we  learn 
to  loathe  our  leprosy  and  our  leprous  rags,  and  confess 
that  we  are  "  only  vile  ?"  Sin  is  our  leprosy,  and  all 
our  best  deeds  are  as  leprous  rags.  And  shall  we 
shamelessly  hold  up  these  filthy,  infectious  rags  before 
God  and  angels,  and  boast  of  wearing  them  ?  We  do 
the  best  we  can !  The  best  we  can  !  Hear  the  Word  of 
God  ! — "  All  have  sinned  ;"  and  again,  "  There  is  none 
righteous,  no,  not  one;"  and  again,  "By  the  deeds  of 
the  law  there  shall  no  flesh  be  justified  in  his  sight;" 
and  again,  "  Therefore  we  conclude  that  a  man  is 
justified  by  faith  without  the  deeds  of  the  law  ;  "  and 
learn,  that  the  best  thing  you  can  do  is  to  look  to  what 
another  has  done  for  you,  even  Jesus ! — even  Jesus ! — 
and  by  believing  in  Him  to  become  righteous  before 
God.  I  say  the  best  you  can  do  is  to  believe  in  Jesus, 
that  you  may  through  this  become  really  righteous 
before  God.  But  can  the  just  God  make  you  really 
righteous  thus  ?  Oh  yes  !  Read  and  believe,  "  Being 
justified  freely  by  his  grace,  through  the  redemption 
that  is  in  Christ  Jesus  ;  whom  God  hath  set  forth  to  be 
a  propitiation  through  faith  in  his  blood,  to  declare 
his  righteousness  for  the  remission  of  sins  that  are 
past,  through  the  forbearance  of  God ;  to  declare,  I 
say,  at  this  time  his  righteousness,  that  he  might  be 

just,   AND    THE    JUSTIFIER   OF   HIM   WHICH    BELIEVETH 

IN  Jesus"  (Rom.  iii.  24-26).  "Where  is  boasting 
then?"  Where  is  the  boast,  "I  do  the  best  I  can?" 
Hear  the  Word  of  God !     "  It  is  excluded.     By  what 


120  REFUGES  OF  LIES. 

law  ?  of  works  ?  Nay :  but  by  the  law  of  faith."  As 
sure  as  the  Word  of  God  is  true,  if  you  cling  to  this 
boast,  you  shall  be  "  excluded  "  with  it.  Oh,  remem- 
ber the  Pharisee  who  thanked  God  he  was  not  like 
other  men,  and  was  rejected,  and  the  Publican  who 
cried,  "  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner,"  and  was  justi- 
fied ;  and  remember  Christ's  comment  upon  such  cases, 
"  Whosoever  exalteth  himself  shall  be  abased,  but  who- 
soever abaseth  himself  shall  be  exalted."  Fall  on  your 
knees  before  God  and  say,  "  0  Lord,  I  have  done  well- 
nigh  the  worst  I  could  ;  I  am  a  miserable  sinner ;  but, 
O  Lord,  thou  didst  not  come  into  the  world  '  to  call 
the  righteous,  but  sinners  to  repentance/  Have  mercy 
on  my  soul ! — forgive  my  sins  ! — and,  0  just  God,  make 
me  righteous  through  Jesus  ;"  and  the  Lord  will  keep 
His  promise,  "  Him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no 
wise  cast  out ! " 

IV.  Some  to  whom  I  am  now  speaking  have  run  to 
the  opposite  extreme  of  this,  and,  though  unprepared 
for  eternity,  are  flattering  themselves  that  they  believe 
in  Jesus  Christ,  and  that  they  are  in  the  road  to  heaven, 
while  they  are  without  that  faith  which  alone  can  save 
the  soul.  Let  me  ask  you  who  say,  "  I  do  believe," 
what  it  is  you  believe  that  can  justify  you  %  You  say, 
"  I  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  came  into  the  world  to 
teach  us  the  way  to  heaven."  So  did  that  young  man 
who  came  to  Christ  of  old.  "  Good  Master,"  said  he, 
"what  shall  I  do  to  inherit  eternal  life?"  Says  Christ, 
"Take  up  thy  cross,  and  follow  me;"  and  he  "goes 
away  sorrowful " — goes  away  where  ?    Where  but  to 


REFUGES  OF  LIES.  121 

hell  ?  What  do  you  believe  more  than  he  ?  You  an- 
swer, "  I  believe  in  the  great  judgment  to  come."  So 
did  Felix ;  when  Paul  stood  before  him  *  and  reasoned 
of  righteousness,  temperance,  and  judgment  to  come," 
Felix  believed  it  all,  and  "  trembled  " — but  did  he  not 
say  to  God's  ambassador,  "  Go  thy  way  for  this  time ; 
when  I  have  a  convenient  season,  I  will  call  for  thee." 
And  did  that  season  ever  come  ?  And  have  not  the 
doors  of  everlasting  darkness  been  shut  upon  his  soul 
since  then  ?  Oh,  what  dost  thou  believe  more  than  he  ? 
You  answer,  I  believe  that  Jesus  was  the  innocent 
sufferer  for  the  guilty,  and  that  He  is  truly  the  Son  of 
God.  So  did  Judas.  He  knew  Christ  to  be  innocent 
— knew  Him  to  be  the  Son  of  God — but  betrayed  Him, 
and  "  went  to  his  own  place."  What  do  you  believe 
more  than  he  ?  You  answer,  "  I  believe  that  Jesus 
died  that  He  might  save  sinners,  and  rose  to  glory  ever- 
lasting." So  did  Ananias  and  Sapphira ;  they  heard 
the  Apostle  Peter  declare  these  things,  and  they  re- 
ceived them  as  true,  and  were  baptized,  and  cast  in 
their  lot  with  the  followers  of  Christ,  and  were  struck 
dead  for  awful  lying  by  Almighty  God  ;  and  would  you 
wish  to  be  where  they  are  ?  Oh  !  what  do  you  believe 
more  than  these  ?  You  answer,  "  I  believe  in  heaven 
and  hell."  I  answer,  Satan  and  all  devils  believe  in  as 
much — yea,  and  with  reason  too,  for  they  were  once 
angels  in  that  heaven,  and  have  since  been  devils  in 
that  hell.  What  do  you  believe  more  than  they  ?  Do 
you  ask,  at  last,  what  am  I  to  believe,  that  I  may  be 
saved  ?     Oh,  tell  me,  what  did  that  dying  thief  believe 


122  EEFUGES  OF  LIES, 

who  went  to  heaven?  More  than  either  Jnclas  or 
Satan.  Did  he  not  believe  that  Jesus  was  his  own 
Saviour  t — bearing  his  sins,  as  well  as  "  the  sins  of  the 
world  " — and  did  he  not  confidently  trust  in  Him  that 
He  would  bear  him  in  everlasting  remembrance,  and 
did  he  not  call  Him  "Lord?"  Oh  that  you  would 
throw  your  poor  black  soul  into  Christ's  dear  out- 
stretched arms,  as  he  did !  0  my  brother  !  and  O 
my  sister !  come !  come  and  cast  yourselves  upon 
Christ  for  ever !  Oh,  cast  yourselves  upon  Christ  for 
ever!    Come  and  cry, 

"  Just  as  I  am,  poor,  wretched,  blind, 
Sight,  riches,  healing  of  the  mind, 
Yea,  all  I  need  in  Thee  to  find — 
O  Lamb  of  God,  I  come ! 

"  Just  as  I  am,  Thou  wilt  receive, 
Wilt  welcome,  pardon,  cleanse,  relieve, 
Because  Thy  promise  I  believe — 

0  Lamb  of  God,  I  come ! " 

V.  I  think  it  is  certain  that  some  I  address  have 
long  been  hiding  from  their  own  consciences  behind 
this  refuge — u  I  must  wait  God's  time."  A  word  or 
two  to  such.  Now  listen — the  solemn  truth  is,  Christ 
is  waiting  for  you.  Bid  you  ever  read  His  own  words  : 
"Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock/'  Is  not  that 
waiting ?  "I  stand;  "  is  not  that  waiting ?  UI  stand 
at  the  door;"  is  not  that  waiting  just  outside?  "/ 
stand  at  the  door  and  knock ;  "  is  not  that  waiting  to 
get  in  ?  This  is  just  your  case  ;  you  keep  the  door  of 
your  heart  fast  bolted  and  locked ;  Jesus  stands  out- 


EKPUSKS  OP  LIES.  123 

side  knocking  continually.     Christ  knocks.     ''Lord" 
you  answer,  -  I  wait  Thy  time."     «  Open  to  me,"  saith 
Christ.     "  Lord,"  you  say,  "  I  wait  Thy  time."     -  Why 
do  you  keep  the  door  locked  with  unbelief?"  saith 
Jesus.      "Lord,"  you    answer,    "I   wait    Thy   time" 
Beware,  0  sinner !  no  longer  trifle  with  Christ     If  He 
turns  away  and  leaves  you  to  yourself,  you  are  undone 
It   He  bursts   the  door  open  in  judgment,  you  are 
undone.     Say  not  again,  -  Lord,  I  wait  Thy  time,"  but 
say,  "Lord,  I  believe,  help  Thou  mine  unbelief"     Did 
you  never  read  in  the  Book  of  God,  that  the  present  is 
the  time  of  salvation  ?    Read  !_•'  Now  is  the  accepted 
tune,  now  is  the  day  of  salvation." 

A  young  man  came  to  a  minister  some  time  since 
under  deep  conviction  of  sin;  he  said— "Sir  I  am  a 
great  sinner;"  the  minister  said,  "You  area  greater 
sinner  than  you  think,"  not  covering  up  the  wound 
with  lying  flatteries,  but  putting  the  lancet  of  truth 
into  it.     Said  the  young  man,  "I  feel  I  deserve  the 
wrath   of  God."      "Ah!"    said  the   minister,    "you 
deserve  to  be  sent  to  hell  for  your  sins."     "Sir  what' 
shall  I  do  to  be  saved  ? "     "  Believe  on  the  Lord' Jesus 
Christ,    said  the  minister.     "But  I  must  wait  God's 
tame>    said  the  young, man.     "Now  is  the  accepted 
time,    said  the  minister.     "But,  sir,  I  must  wait  for 
the  call  of  God."     "Now  is  the  accepted  time,"  said 
the  minister.     "  But,  sir,  I  must  wait  for  repentance  " 
"Now   is    the    accepted    time,"    said    the    minister 
"But,   sir,   I   must  wait  for   faith."     "Now  is   the 
accepted  time,"  said   the  minister.     "Well,  surely   I 


124)  REFUGES  OF  LIES. 

must  wait  for  the  Holy  Spirit."  "  Now  is  the  accepted 
time,"  said  the  minister.  The  young  man  -went  away 
in  clouds  of  darkness,  but  with  these  words  ringing  in 
his  ears — "Now  is  the  accepted  time/'  "Now  is  the 
accepted  time."  By  no  effort  of  body  or  mind  could 
he  shake  them  off.  At  last  he  knelt,  wept,  confessed, 
prayed,  and  rose  up  to  praise.  That  was  to  him  "  the 
day  of  salvation  ! "  Oh,  unforgiven  man,  do  not  wait 
one  half  hour  longer,  but  break  down  before  God  at 
once.  You  know  you  must  be  either  converted  or 
damned ;  you  know  you  grow  worse  every  hour ;  you 
know  Christ  is  as  ready  to  receive  you  now  as  He  ever 
will  be.     Oh,  be  reconciled  to  Him  this  very  day  ! 

VI.  Before  I  close,  let  me  ask  every  young  man 
and  woman  I  address,  what  they  think  of  these  things? 
I  am  sure  none  of  you  would  dare  to  despise  them. 
I  am  sure  some  of  you  believe  and  feel  them.  But 
are  there  not  some  who  say,  "We  know  all  this  is 
true,  and  we  mean  to  turn,  but  there  is  time  enough 
yet?"  So  you  confess  these  things  are  true,  and 
that  your  minds  are  made  up  for  a  change  at  some 
convenient  season?  Oh  the  unreasonableness  of  your 
course !  Why  would  you  turn  by  and  by  ?  Because 
Christ  beseeches  you?  And  does  not  He  as  much 
beseech  you  now  ?  And  will  you  not  grieve  and 
insult  Him  by  delaying?  Why  would  you  turn  by 
and  by?  Because  God  commands  you?  And  does 
He  not  as  much  command  you  now  ?  And  are  you 
not  disobeying  and  defying  Him  by  delaying?  Why 
would  you  turn  by  and  by  ?     Because  danger  threatens 


REFUGES  OF  LIES.  1  25 

you  ?  And  is  not  death  behind  your  back  even  now  ? 
And  are  not  the  flames  of  hottest  hell  ready  beneath 
your  feet  to  swallow  up  your  soul  in  torments  even 
now?  And  are  you  not  playing  about  the  mouth 
of  the  bottomless  pit  by  delaying?  Oh,  will  you 
never  be  wise  until  it  is  too  late?  Why  will  you 
persist  in  forgetting  that  "your  breath  is  in  your 
nostrils  ? "  Why  will  you  struggle  so  hard  to  drive  to 
a  distance  the  thought  that  "there  is  but  a  step 
between  you  and  death?"  Why  will  you  so  sinfully 
shut  your  eyes,  and  stop  your  ears,  and  turn  your 
back,  while  God  and  conscience  are  crying,  "Behold 
the  Judge  standeth  at  the  door?"  Are  you  mad 
or  sober  ?  Which  ?  Do  you  mean  to  dare  the  wrath 
of  God  ?  Were  your  heart  iron  and  your  brain  brass, 
you  could  not  stand  before  His  consuming  veangence ! 
And  how  can  your  frame  of  tender  flesh,  and  your 
soul  so  sensitive  to  suffering,  endure  everlasting  tor- 
tures ?  What  is  it  you  calculate  on  ?  Is  it  to-morrow  ? 
— to-morrow  ?  But  are  you  sure  of  seeing  it  ?  Is 
it  yours?  Know  you  not  that  you  live  moment  by 
moment,  because  God  supports  you  moment  by  mo- 
ment, and  that  those  very  moments  are  few,  and  all 
numbered,  and  fast  passing  away?  Oh,  to  see  you 
must  make  angels  wonder  and  devils  exult :  every 
moment  your  heart  hardening — your  guilt  growing — 
your  light  fading — your  hopes  sinking  —  your  time 
fleeing — your  night  darkening — your  joys  dying — your 
life  closing — and  your  soul,  still  dreaming — dreaming 
out  the  last  moments  before  eternity!     And  shall  I 


]  26  REFUGES  OF  LIES. 

say,  "Sleep  on?"  God  forbid!  For  if  you  sleep 
now,  you  shall  surely  wake,  to  sleep  no  more,  in  that 
fire  that  is  never  quenched. 

I  would  again  most  solemnly  beseech  you  to  arise 
and  leave  all,  and  come  to  Jesus.  Oh,  come  now,  for 
God's  patience  is  waiting,  and  long-suffering  enduring, 
and  mercy  entreating !  Come  now,  for  the  world  is 
alluring,  and  sin  deceiving,  and  Satan  tempting. 
Come  now,  for  Christ  is  calling,  and  the  Spirit  striving, 
and  heaven  inviting.  Come  now,  for  conscience  is 
warning,  and  death  nearing,  and  judgment  threatening. 
Oh,  come  now,  now,  this  hour  !  come  to  Jesus  !  Can 
you  halt  a  moment,  while  on  the  one  side  there  is  sin, 
shame,  sorrow,  darkness,  and  damnation,  and  on  the 
other  side  there  is  holiness,  honour,  joy,  light,  and  glory  ? 
Oh,  while  God  gives  you  the  precious  opportunity, 
exchange  hell  for  heaven,  and  live  for  ever ! 

I  must  now  close.  You  have  heard  that  to  hide 
from  God's  wrath  behind  a  lie  is  death.  Now  hear, 
that  to  hide  from  God's  wrath  behind  "  the  truth "  is 
life.  Thank  God,  He  who  is  "the  truth,"  is  also  "the 
life."  And  this  is  "the  man  who  shall  be  as  an 
hiding  place  from  the  wind,  and  a  covert  from  the 
tempest."  Behold  yonder,  great  dark  clouds  of  wrath 
are  gathering.  See  there,  sinful  dying  multitudes 
are  trifling ;  and  here  beneath  "  the  shadow  of  a  great 
rock  "  crowds  are  standing  under  refuge  !  See  how 
God's  bright  arrows  cut  the  clouds,  and  fall  around  in 
destruction,  as  swift  heralds  of  His  approaching 
vengeance !  and  hear  the  solemn  thunder  of  His  wrath 


REFUGES  OF  LIES.  127 

rolling  overhead  in  awful  threatenings  !  and  know  that 
when  this  storm  of  judgment  comes,  while  the  strength, 
and  hope,  and  glory  of  the  world  falls  overwhelmed 
for  ever  beneath  Omnipotence,  and  the  hail  sweeps  away 
every  refuge  of  lies — the  saints  shall  stand  in  safety  in 
the  shadow  of  this  great  rock  Jesus !  until  the  desolation 
and  darkness  be  overpast  and  gone,  and  "the  day 
break,  and  the  shadows  flee  away."  In  order  that 
you  may  stand  among  them,  flee  to  Jesus  now  and  cry, 

**  Other  refuge  have  I  none, 
Hangs  my  helpless  soul  on  Thee ; 
Leave,  oh  leave,  me  not  alone  ! 
Still  support  and  shelter  me — 
Hide  me,  0  my  Saviour  hide  I 
Till  the  storm  be  overpast; 
Safe  into  the  haven  guide ; 
Oh,  receive  my  soul  at  last  I " 


SEKMON  VII 


THE  PRODIGAL  SON. 

Luke  xv.  20. 
"And  he  arose,  and  came  to  his  father." 

I  HAVE  a  simple,  touching  story  to  tell  you  all  to- 
night. It  is  an  old  tale  about  the  wandering  from 
home  of  a  poor  prodigal  son,  and  his  returning  thither 
again  after  many  days.  I  tell  it  to  you,  hoping  that 
you  may  all  see  something  in  it  about  yourselves.  I 
tell  it  to  you,  hoping  that  while  I  paint  its  different 
parts,  you  will  all  recognise  the  pictures,  and  say  in- 
wardly, "  We  ought  to  know  these  pictures — have  they 
not  been  hanging  up  in  our  memories  for  many  a 
day  ? "  I  tell  it  to  you,  hoping  that  while  you  listen 
to  me,  many  a  heart-string  of  deep  feeling  that  has 
long  lain  still  and  silent  within  you  will  begin  to 
vibrate  and  tremble  ;  and,  touched  by  the  truths  I  utter, 
yea,  touched  by  the  hand  of  God,  will  go  on  to  vibrate 
and  tremble  for  ever.  And  I  tell  it,  in  short,  hoping 
that  God  will  bless  it  to  the  conversion  of  many  of  you. 
The  story  is  this.     A  certain  young  man,  disliking 


THE  PRODIGAL  SON.  J  29 

the  restraints  of  home,  and  longing  for  freedom  to 
indulge  himself  in  sinful  pursuits  and  pleasures  to  the 
uttermost,  asked  his  father  to  give  him  the  portion  of 
goods  that  fell  to  him,  intending,  when  he  got  it,  to 
leave  his  home  altogether,  and  spend  it  as  he  chose 
elsewhere.  His  father  granted  his  request,  and  divided 
to  him  his  portion.  After  lingering  at  home  for  a  few 
days,  the  young  man,  without  asking  his  father's  leave 
or  blessing,  gathered  together  all  his  possessions,  and 
took  his  departure.  I  know  not  much  about  his 
journey,  save  that  he  travelled  and  travelled  until  he 
reached  a  certain  distant  country,  where  the  fields 
seemed  fruitful,  the  climate  a  perpetual  summer,  and 
the  inhabitants  given  to  the  pursuit  of  all  manner  of 
pleasure,  both  by  day  and  by  night.  Here,  then,  he 
took  up  his  abode ;  and,  having  got  a  house,  and 
gathered  many  gay  companions  round  him,  he  gave 
himself  up  to  feasting  and  merriment,  and  considered 
himself  as  happy  as  a  king.  He  had  now  youth,  riches, 
freedom,  friends,  and  daily  entertainment ;  and,  in 
short,  all  he  desired  to  make  his  time  pass  plea- 
santly away.  Here,  he  had  no  watchful  parent  to 
annoy  him  with  warnings  and  advice — no,  he  was 
his  own  master,  and  as  to  those  around  him,  they 
amused,  indulged,  and  flattered  him  by  turns. 

At  length,  however,  growing  somewhat  tired  of  the 
everlasting  sunshine  and  music  of  voluptuous  living, 
and  longing  for  a  more  exciting  way  of  spending  his 
time,  he  sought  out  a  set  of  wild  and  riotous  com- 
panions,  and  plunging  with  them  into  all  kinds  of 

i 


130  THE  PEODIGAL  SON. 

sinful  excesses,  extravagantly  wasted  whatever  re- 
main I'd  of  his  property,  until  it  was  all  spent. 

And  now  things  began  to  change  with  him.  As 
soon  as  the  money  had  disappeared  from  his  purse, 
and  the  food  had  disappeared  from  his  table,  the  gay 
companions  disappeared  from  his  house.  The  gay  and 
proud  among  them  refused  to  notice  him,  those  who 
had  made  the  greatest  professions  of  friendship  forsook 
him  for  others,  and  even  his  bosom  friends  in  sin. 
when  they  could  make  nothing  more  of  him,  turned 
their  backs  upon  him. 

Left  alone,  he  wandered  forth,  not  knowing  what 
to  do,  or  where  to  go  ;  and  lo !  on  looking  at  the 
fields,  which  in  the  time  of  his  prosperity  had  seemed 
so  fruitful,  he  beheld  the  crops  lying  blighted  and 
withered  beneath  the  burning  sun !  While  his  dream 
of  pleasure  lasted,  the  land  seemed  to  overflow  with 
the  abundance  of  its  supplies,  but  now  he  had  spent 
his  all,  there  arose  in  it  a  mighty  famine,  and  he  began 
to  be  in  want.  For  a  while  he  wandered  restlessly  up 
and  down,  turning  over  in  his  mind  every  plan  he 
could  think  of,  whereby  he  might  obtain  something 
to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  hunger.  Whether  the 
thought  of  returning  home  occurred  to  him  or  not, 
I  cannot  tell,  but  if  it  did  he  banished  it  at  once. 
No,  he  would  not  go  home,  but  he  resolved  what  he 
would  do.  He  would  join  himself  to  a  certain  citizen 
of  that  country  as  his  servant ;  this  would  keep  him 
from  starvation.  Accordingly,  he  offered  his  services 
to  this  citizen,  placed  himself  under  his  control,  and 


THE  PEODIGAL  SON.  131 

was  sent  by  him  into  his  fields  to  feed  a  herd  of 
swine.  But,  though  by  this  he  obtained  work  he  did 
not  obtain  food  He  fed  his  master's  swine,  and 
starved. 

Fain  would  he  often  have  satisfied  his  cravings  for 
food  by  filling  himself  with  the  husks  that  the  swine 
did  eat,  but  he  could  not  live  on  these  ;  and  as  to  re- 
ceiving help  from  his  old  companions,  or  from  strangers, 
though  many  of  them  saw  his  miserable  condition,  and 
heard  him  beg  humbly  for  bread,  no  man  gave  unto 
him. 

At  last  he  sat  down  to  reflect  upon  his  state,  and 
soon  became  oppressed  with  an  awful  sense  of  his  sin, 
and  shame,  and  misery.  He  thought  of  home — he 
remembered  the  happy  years  of  his  childhood — he 
thought  of  his  father,  and  of  the  love  he  used  to  bear 
to  him  ;  and  then  he  thought  of  the  way  in  which  he 
had  wandered,  and  had  spent  his  all,  and  had  become 
a  servant  in  a  strange  land,  a  menial,  a  degraded  out- 
cast. And  then  he  thought  of  his  father's  servants, 
how  many  of  them  had  bread  enough  and  to  spare. 
Were  he  but  a  servant  in  his  father's  house,  he,  too, 
would  have  bread  enough  and  to  spare ;  and  then,  he 
looked  at  the  husks,  with  which  he  had  tried  in  vain  to 
satisfy  his  cravings  for  food,  and  all  at  once  the  thought 
of  his  perishing  for  want  of  bread  flashed  across  his 
mind  and  startled  him — the  thought  of  dying  far  from 
home  as  a  swine-herd,  of  starvation !  Oh,  it  was 
fearful !  and  he  awoke  from  his  dream  of  sin.  Then 
came  the  longing  for  home,  and  for  forgiveness,  rush- 


1  32  THE  PRODIGAL  SOX. 

ing  in  upon  his  soul  like  a  torrent.  He  would  retnn?, 
he  would  repent,  he  would  be  a  servant  in  his  father's 
house,  a  menial,  anything,  only  let  him  reach  his  home 
again — his  home,  his  blessed,  peaceful  home  !  Having 
made  these  resolutions,  he  arose  humbled  and  sorrowful, 
no  longer  now  a  proud  madman,  but  a  broken-hearted 
penitent;  and,  turning  his  eyes  in  the  direction  of 
his  home,  began  to  retrace  his  wanderings,  and  return, 
covered  with  shame  and  confusion,  to  his  father's 
house.  Thus  he  travelled,  until  at  length,  scarcely 
daring  to  lift  up  his  face  and  look  at  it,  there  in  the 
distance  he  beheld  his  home  !  And  lo !  while  yet  far 
off,  his  father  saw  him — saw  the  wanderer,  the  prodi- 
gal, the  penitent,  his  poor,  beggared,  outcast  child ! 
and  with  a  heart  full  of  compassion,  yearning  to  weep 
upon  his  bosom,  he  ran  towards  him,  and  fell  upon  his 
neck,  and  kissed  him.  No  words  could  he  speak  to 
him — affection  and  compassion  choked  his  utterance  ; 
but  he  held  his  poor  weeping  penitent  to  his  bosom, 
and  kissed  him.  The  first  to  speak  was  the  weeping 
prodigal,  "Father,"  he  said,  "Father,  I  have  sinned 
against  heaven,  and  in  thy  sight,  and  am  no  more 
worthy  to  be  called  thy  son : "  and  here,  overwhelmed 
with  his  feelings,  he  stopped — he  could  not  make  the 
request  he  had  resolved  upon  ;  he  could  not  even  say, 
"Forgive  me/'  But  the  father  wiped  away  the  tears  of 
his  child,  and  his  own  tears — spake  not  a  word  in 
answer  to  his  child's  confession  of  sin  and  of  unworthi- 
ness.  And  as  if  to  prove  to  him  that  though  he  might 
feel  unworthy  to  be  called  his  son,  he  did  not  feel  un- 


THE  PRODIGAL  SON.  133 

willing  to  own  him  for  his  son,  but  rather  rejoiced  at 
his  return  with  joy  unspeakable,  he  called  aloud  to 
his  servants,  "  Ering  forth  the  best  robe,  and  put  it  on 
him ;  and  put  a  ring  on  his  hand,  and  shoes  on  his 
feet :  and  bring  hither  the  fatted  calf,  and  lull  it ;  and 
let  us  eat,  and  be  merry :  for  this  my  son  was  dead, 
and  is  alive  again ;  he  was  lost,  and  is  found." 

Such  is  the  simple  and  touching  story  told  by  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  of  a  prodigal's  wandering  from  home, 
and  returning  after  many  days.  And  now,  who  is 
there  among  us  that  does  not  see  that  the  parable  of 
the  prodigal  son  sets  forth  the  wandering  of  a  sinner 
from  God,  and  his  returning  to  God  again,  and  the 
joyful  and  blessed  reception  he  meets  with  when  he 
returns  ?  And  has  this  nothing  to  do  with  us  ?  Are 
we  not  sinners  ?  and  have  we  not  forsaken  God  ?  and 
may  not  we  return  again  and  be  forgiven  ?  Oh,  may 
God  help  me  !  for  I  am  poor,  and  weak,  and  unable  to 
speak  to  you  all  about  these  things  as  I  should.  Why, 
'tis  but  recently,  comparatively  speaking,  since  I,  a 
poor  sinner,  was  wandering  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  far 
from  God.  But  the  Lord  has  brought  me  out  of  it. 
And  are  not  you,  many  of  you,  there  to  this  day? 
How  can  I  speak  to  you  ?  or,  rather,  how  can  I  hold 
my  peace  when  I  look  at  you,  and  think  of  the  mad- 
ness of  your  course,  and  of  the  misery  you  are  bring- 
ing on  yourselves?  And  oh,  when  I  think  of  the 
way  in  which  God  has  received  me — when  I  think  of 
the  way  in  which  He  has  forgiven  me  all,  and  taken 
me  home  to  His  heart  for  ever — oh,  when  I  think  of 


]  31  THE  PRODIGAL  SON. 

these  things,  my  soul  burns  within  me  with  the  desire 
to  see  you  too,  all  of  you,  return  to  God,  no  more  to 
wander  from  Him  !  Oh,  that  you  would  all  return ! 
Who  knows  but  that  these  poor  words  of  mine  may  be 
the  means  of  leading  some  of  you  back  again  ?  Oh, 
if  it  were  but  so  !  And  why  should  it  not  be  so  ?  The 
gospel,  the  glad  and  blessed  gospel  I  preach,  is  the 
mighty  power  of  God  to  the  salvation  of  every  one  that 
believeth.  And  I  bless  God  I  have  seen  it  strike  down 
sinners  as  hardened  as  the  worst  of  you.  Ay,  I  have 
seen  its  mighty  power  upon  some  of  the  vilest ;  and 
have  I  not  felt  its  power  upon  myself  ?  Then  I  will 
despair  of  none  of  you.  Come,  then,  all  the  vilest, 
and  most  wretched,  and  miserable,  and  undone  sinners 
— come  all  of  you,  and  listen  to  what  Christ  says  con- 
cerning this  prodigal  son.  Hear  Him  describe  the 
wandering,  and  the  dissipation,  and  the  want,  and  the  de- 
gradation of  this  mad  and  miserable  sinner.  Come  and 
hear  Him  describe  how  the  light  broke  in  at  last  upon  his 
darkened  mind ;  and  how  he  thought  of  the  home  he 
had  forsaken,  and  of  the  blessedness  of  being  even  a 
servant  there ;  and  how  he  resolved  to  return  to  it, 
and  did  return,  and  was  clasped  to  his  father's  bosom, 
and  received  as  one  who  had  been  dead  and  was 
alive  again  ;  as  one  who  had  been  lost  and  was  found ; 
— come,  I  say,  and  hear  Christ  describe  by  this  the 
dark  and  sorrowful  history  of  your  past  wanderings, 
and  describe  by  this  the  way  back  again  to  God,  and 
the  merciful  and  loving  reception  that  awaits  you  at 
your  return  to  Him. 


THE  PRODIGAL  SON.  135 

And  now,  see  first,  by  this  parable,  how  Christ  sets 
forth  the  sinner  s  forsaking  God.  The  prodigal  had  a 
father,  and  had  not  we  a  Father  also?  Are  we  not 
God's  offspring?  I  believe,  one  great  object  Christ 
had  in  telling  us  this  parable  was  to  set  forth  the 
fatherhood  of  God.  In  whose  image  was  man  origi- 
nally formed?  In  whose  bosom  was  he  carried  of 
old?  "Who  called  him  once  His  child?  And  who 
did  he  once  call  Father  ?  Ah,  have  we  not  felt,  every 
one  of  us,  the  deep  and  unutterable  longings  and 
yearnings  of  the  fatherless  after  Him  whom  we  have 
lost  ?  Oh !  have  we  not  felt  that  none  on  earth  could 
fill  the  void,  and  be,  in  the  deepest  sense,  our  Father  ? 
Alas !  Adam  forsook  God — all  men,  since  his  time, 
have  forsaken  God — and  we  have  forsaken  God.  We 
have  shaken  off  His  restraint,  and  broken  His  yoke, 
and  turned  our  backs  upon  Him,  and  wandered  as  far 
from  Him  as  we  could,  and  settled  down  in  sin,  and  ever 
since  have  been  living  "  without  God  in  the  world/'  and 
we  have  loved  to  have  it  so.  Ah,  miserable  prodigals  ! 
you  never  see  God's  face,  or  hear  God's  voice,  or  even 
care  to  think  of  God.  One  would  think,  judging  by 
your  lives,  that  God  had  never  been  your  Father  ;  and 
that  you  would  not  care  if  God  were — if  it  were  possible 
— if  God  were  dead!  Oh,  what  mean  you?  How 
did  you  come  to  be  in  this  state?  Some  of  you 
may  think  that  I  am  only  speaking  of  those  who 
are  openly  wicked — sinners  above  other  men  ;  but  I 
tell  you  all,  I  am  not — nay,  nay,  for  in  this  "  there  is 
no  difference,  for  all  have  sinned  and  come  short  of 


136  THE  PRODIGAL  SON. 

the  glory  of  God."  We  have  all  become  lost  and  dead 
to  God — all  of  us  without  exception.  And  why  did 
we  forsake  God  ?  was  He  unkind  to  us  ?  Ah,  no ! 
Why,  then,  did  we  forsake  Him?  was  it  to  find  rest 
in  this  strange  land  ?  and  was  there  no  rest  for  us  at 
home  ?  Why  did  we  forsake  Him  ?  Is  Satan's  service, 
is  the  drudgery  and  degradation  of  Satan's  slavery,  an 
easier  yoke  to  us  than  the  yoke  of  obedience  to  our 
Father  in  heaven  ?  Oh,  poor  deluded  fools  that  we  have 
been !  how  have  we  destroyed  ourselves !  0  you  poor 
deluded  sinners  who  are  still  wandering  !  I  know  your 
thoughts.  Was  I  not  once  wandering  as  wildly  and  as 
far  away  as  any  of  you  ?  You  think  God  does  not  care  for 
you,  and  you  care  not  for  God — am  I  not  right  ? — you 
care  for  trifles,  you  care  for  bubbles,  sticks,  straws,  dross, 
dust,  for  any  wretched  vanity,  but  not  for  God  —  ay, 
and  though  you  may  not  think  it,  and  though  you 
may  even  dare  to  deny  it,  you  hate  God.  The  Bible 
calls  unconverted  sinners  "haters  of  God,"  and  you 
know  that  you  are  such.  But,  why  hate  God  ?  What  has 
He  done  ?  Has  He  hated  you  ?  No  ;  "  God  is  love  !  " 
What  cause  have  you  then  for  hating  Him  ?  What,  if 
you  have  hated  Him  "  without  a  cause  ? "  And,  are 
you  not  beginning  to  be  ashamed  of  such  ways  ?  Are 
you  not  covered  with  confusion  on  account  of  them  ? 
Do  you  not  begin  at  last  to  hate  yourselves?  If  so, 
do  not  despair.  God  is  willing  to  have  mercy  upon 
you,  and  to  forgive  you  if  you  will  return.  Hear  what 
He  says,  "0  Israel,  thou  hast  destroyed  thyself,  but 
in  me  is  thine  help." 


THE  PRODIGAL  SON.  137 

Behold  next,  by  this  parable,  how  Christ  sets  forth 
the  sinner  s  wasting  his  substance  in  riotous  living, 
spending  all,  and  beginning  to  be  in  want.  The 
prodigal's  father  must  have  been  very  rich,  for  he 
had  property  enough  in  his  possession,  after  giving  his 
younger  son  a  fortune,  to  keep  up  a  large  house  for 
himself,  with  "many  hired  servants;"  and  as  this  was 
the  case,  you  may  depend  upon  it  that  it  was  no  small 
sum  that  fell  to  the  prodigal.  But  whatever  it  was, 
he  carried  it  all  away  into  a  strange  country.  Well, 
once  he  was  there,  if  he  had  been  at  all  thoughtful, 
he  might  have  lived  upon  the  interest  of  it,  or  traded 
with  it,  or  so  managed  it  as  to  make  it  last  as  long 
as  possible.  But  no,  Christ  tells  us  he  wasted  it.  But 
why  waste  it  ?  Did  he  throw  it  away,  as  if  it  was  of 
no  value  in  his  sight  ?  No,  but  he  gave  it  lavishly  in 
exchange  for  riotous  pleasures  ;  he  wasted  it  in  riotous 
living.  But  surely  he  was  too  wise  to  spend  it  all 
thus.  Surely  when  it  was  half  gone  he  began  to 
rein  in  his  lusts,  and  waste  his  substance  more  slowly 
and  cautiously.  Rein  in  his  lusts !  Reason,  pru- 
dence, and  fear  together  could  not  have  managed  to 
hold  them  in.  No  ;  he  rather  flung  the  reins  upon 
their  necks,  and  lashed  them  into  a  wilder  gallop. 
What  did  he  care  about  what  lay  before  him  ?  People 
talked  about  the  precipice  of  ruin,  but  he  had  never 
seen  it,  and  when  he  came  up  to  it,  it  would  be  time 
enough  to  stop.  And  so  he  dashed  onward,  until,  lo ! 
the  precipice  came  in  sight.  He  might  have  tried  to 
pull  up  now.     Whether  he  did  or  not,  I  cannot  tell ; 


138  THE  PRODIGAL  SON. 

but  if  he  did,  his  lusts  had  by  this  time  become  un- 
governable. Onward  he  dashed,  plunging  over  the 
precipice  of  ruin  into  the  black  abyss  of  poverty  and 
degradation  beneath.  And  now,  tell  me,  has  not  this 
been  the  history  of  every  one  of  us?  Were  not  we 
the  children  and  heirs  of  a  rich  and  noble  Father? 
Did  not  we  receive  from  Him  the  portion  of  goods 
that  fell  to  us  ?  Was  not  this  our  substance  ?  Did 
He  not  give  us  health,  and  strength,  and  time,  and 
talents,  and  many  other  possessions  besides  ?  And 
have  we  treasured  these  up?  or  traded  with  them 
wisely?  or  spent  them  cautiously?  Could  we  not 
have  done  good  with  them?  And  would  they  not 
have  increased,  rather  than  diminished,  had  we  used 
them  thus?  What  have  we  done  with  them?  Let 
us  look  back  at  our  past  lives.  Alas,  what  lives  of 
riotous  enjoyments!  What  lives  of  vanity,  self- 
indulgence,  and  all  manner  of  sin !  And  did  all  this 
cost  us  nothing  ?  Nothing  !  It  has  cost  us  everything. 
We  have  wasted  all  we  had  in  sinful  pursuits  and 
empty  pleasures.  We  have  laid  by  nothing.  We 
have  gained  nothing.  We  have  wasted  everything. 
We  have  spent  everything.  And  now,  like  the  pro- 
digal, having  spent  all,  we  begin  to  be  in  wTant.  If  the 
prodigal  had  only  stayed  at  home,  he  would  never  have 
known  what  want  was ;  you  know,  he  might  have 
fared  sumptuously,  and  have  had  enough  and  to  spare, 
every  day  of  his  life.  And  so  with  us.  Have  not  the 
very  servants  bread  enough  and  to  spare,  in  the  house 
of  the  Lord  ?    And  might  not  those  very  servants  have 


THE  PRODIGAL  SON.  139 

been  our  servants  this  day  had  we  never  forsaken  God  ? 
But  now  we  starve  and  perish.  Some  of  us  have  spent 
all  our  earthly  possessions  on  vanities,  and  are  now 
reduced  to  beggary.  Some  of  us  have  spent  all  our 
strength  in  dissipation,  and  are  now  reduced  to  weak- 
ness. Some  of  us  have  spent  all  our  health  in  riotous 
living,  and  are  now  reduced  to  sickness.  Some  of  us 
have  spent  all  our  time  for  nothing.  Alas !  some  of 
us  are  drawing  near  to  life's  close.  Some  of  us  who 
are  young  are  about  to  be  laid  on  our  death-beds  ;  and 
some  of  us  who  are  old  are  about  to  be  laid  in  our 
graves.  We  have  wasted  our  past  lives.  They  are 
gone ;  and  now,  we  begin  to  be  in  want.  Oh,  that 
we  could  recover  those  misspent  hours,  those  wasted 
days,  those  perished  years  !  But  no  ;  they  are  gone  ! 
lost  irrecoverably !  But  let  none  of  us  despair.  Blessed 
be  God,  though  our  night  of  sin  and  wretchedness  is 
dark,  it  is  not  one  of  unbroken  gloom.  Look  up,  and 
see  for  yourselves,  how  the  star  of  hope  is  still  shining. 
Bemember,  it  was  after  the  prodigal  had  spent  all  that 
he  returned  to  his  father,  and  was  clothed  in  the  best 
robe,  and  feasted  sumptuously,  and  given  a  ring  as 
the  pledge  of  wealth,  and  love,  and  abundance.  0 
poor  wandering  one  !  your  possessions,  strength,  health, 
and  past  time,  may  all  be  spent,  but  still  there  is  hope : 

"  For  while  the  lamp  holds  out  to  burn, 
The  vilest  sinner  may  return." 

But  let  us  proceed  with  the  parable.     See,  next,  how 
Christ  sets  forth  by  it  the  sinner's  being  reduced  to 


]  40  THE  PRODIGAL  SON. 

servitude  and  degradation.  As  soon  as  the  prodigal 
had  wasted  his  substance  in  riotous  living,  and  spent 
it  all,  there  arose  a  mighty  famine  in  the  land,  and  he 
began  to  be  in  want ;  and  what  did  he  do  then  %  Now, 
mark  the  way  in  which  Christ  sets  forth  the  madness 
of  the  sinner.  He  might  have  returned  to  his  father. 
But  no,  he  prefers  entering  the  service  of  a  certain 
citizen  of  that  country.  He  goes  voluntarily  to  this 
citizen,  offers  his  services,  is  accepted,  and  straightway 
joins  himself  to  him.  He  that  would  not  submit  to 
the  control  of  a  father  now  wears  the  yoke  of  a 
stranger.  And  how  does  this  certain  citizen  treat  him  ? 
He  sends  him  into  his  fields.  He  does  not  make  him 
an  overseer  of  his  property — he  does  not  make  him  a 
steward  of  his  household — he  does  not  even  make  him 
a  house-servant ;  but  he  gives  him  out-door  work  to 
do — he  makes  him  a  common  herd,  not  a  shepherd, 
but  a  swine-herd,  a  common  swine-herd.  Here  is 
degradation  !  But  surely  he  will  not  submit  to  this ! 
He  who  had  been  brought  up  so  well,  whose  father  was 
so  rich  and  noble,  who  had  himself  been  heir  to  so 
large  a  property,  who  might  return,  if  he  chose,  to  his 
home,  and  who  might  have  a  far  better  situation  than 
this  were  he  only  a  servant  in  his  father's  house — 
surely  he  will  not  submit  to  become  swine-herd  to  a 
citizen  in  a  strange  country  !  Alas,  for  the  madness 
of  .sinners  !  Yes,  he  goes  to  the  fields,  poor  fool ! — lie 
hangs  down  his  head,  and  bows  his  neck  to  the  yoke 
of  slavery — he  goes  into  the  fields  to  feed  a  herd  of 
swine — swine,  above  all  other  animals  despised  and 


THE  PRODIGAL  SON.  141 

abhorred  as  altogether  unclean  ;  he  goes  into  the  open 
fields  to  feed  a  herd  of  filthy  swine.  But  this  is  not 
low  enough  for  him,  he  must  sink  still  lower.  Having 
gone  into  the  fields  for  this  purpose,  and  while  engaged 
about  this  mean,  disreputable  work,  a  degraded  swine- 
herd, he  is  seized  with  hunger,  and  when  he  asks  for 
food  no  one  will  give  him  any.  Surely  this  will  drive 
him  home.  Why,  his  father's  servants  have  bread 
enough  and  to  spare ;  but  no !  sooner  than  return  he 
will  eat  the  food  of  the  very  swine.  He  eats  their 
husks — he  tries  to  satisfy  his  hunger  by  eating  the 
husks  that  the  swine  do  eat ;  but  all  in  vain — he  fain 
would  fill  himself  with  them,  but  they  satisfy  not  his 
cravings. 

Ah,  my  friends  !  do  not  you  and  I  know  what  all 
this  means  ?  Have  not  we  been  reduced  to  servitude 
and  degradation  ?  Is  not  this  a  fair  representation — 
a  true  picture  of  our  case  ?  Alas,  that  it  should  be  so ! 
Yes ;  we  have  been  degraded  and  enslaved.  There  is 
a  certain  citizen  in  this  country — mark,  we  are  not 
citizens  here,  we  have  been  citizens  in  a  better  country, 
the  country  in  which  we  were  originally,  and  from 
which  we  have  wandered,  and  we  are  only  strangers 
and  sojourners  here — but  there  is  a  certain  citizen  in 
this  country,  the  great  proprietor  here,  in  fact,  the 
prince  of  this  place,  and  the  god  of  this  world,  and  we 
have  joined  ourselves  to  him,  and  have,  of  our  own 
free  choice,  become  his  servants.  I  solemnly  declare 
to  you  that,  without  exception,  we  have  all  joined  our- 
selves to  Satan,  and  have  become  his  servants.     You 


142  *  THE  PRODIGAL  SON. 

may  not  all  of  you  believe  me.  Some  of  you  may 
think  you  have  never  had  anything  to  do  with  Satan. 
Some  of  you  may  almost  doubt  the  existence  of  such 
a  being.  Oh,  why  are  you  not  consistent?  Why 
don't  you  close  the  Bible,  and  never  open  it  again? 
Satan !  as  sure  as  God's  own  word  is  true,  Satan 
exists.  Satan  !  I  know  that  you  have  never  seen  that 
dark  and  malignant  spirit,  but  I  also  know  that  you 
cannot  go  out  into  the  streets  without  seeing  his 
works — you  live  in  the  very  midst  of  them — sin  and 
misery  abound  on  every  side  of  you ;  yea,  they  live  in 
the  very  midst  of  you — for,  what  is  the  heart  within 
you,  deceitful  above  all  things,  and  desperately  wicked, 
but  one  of  the  very  worst  works  of  the  devil  ?  Yes, 
without  exception,  we  have  all  joined  ourselves  to 
Satan ;  we  have  gone  from  our  Father  in  heaven  to 
the  great  citizen  of  this  world ;  we  have  exchanged 
God's  service  for  Satan's  slavery ;  we  have  joined  and 
sold  ourselves  to  God's  enemy  and  ours,  and  now  we 
are  Satan's.  Now,  understand  this,  every  unconverted 
man  and  woman  I  address,  as  sure  as  the  Word  of 
God  is  true,  you  have  forsaken  God  and  joined  your- 
self to  Satan  ;  and  what  has  Satan  done  with  you  ? 
He  has  employed  you  in  his  service,  the  service  of 
opposition  to  God — the  service  the  wages  of  which  is 
death,  everlasting  death !  If  any  of  you  are  still  in 
this  far  country,  and  are  still  joined  to  its  great  citizen, 
you  are  still  employed  about  the  most  servile,  menial, 
fruitless,  slavish  work  in  the  universe.  When,  when 
will  you  understand  it?  you  are  employed  as  Satan's 


THE  PRODIGAL  SON.  143 

swine-herds  !  Ah  !  my  friends,  my  friends,  forgive 
me,  I  must  be  plain  with  you  ;  are  not  your  sinful  lusts 
like  so  many  greedy,  unclean  herds  of  swine  ?  And  are 
they  not  Satan's  swine  ?  And  are  not  all  this  world's 
vain  amusements,  and  shows,  and  pleasures,  like  heaps 
of  husks  ?  light,  unsatisfying,  worthless  husks  1  Satan's 
husks  ?  And  are  you  not  feeding  Satan's  swine  upon 
Satan's  husks  ?  Are  you  not  feeding  your  lusts  upon 
these  vanities  ?  Your  sinful  lusts  upon  these  unsatisfy- 
ing vanities  ?  Alas !  the  case  is  worse  still,  far,  far 
worse.  Husks  are  very  well  for  swine,  unsatisfying 
vanities  are  good  enough  for  sinful  lusts ;  but  husks 
are  poor  feeding  for  men;  empty  pleasures,  and  vain 
delights,  and  worthless  vanities,  are  poor  feeding  for 
your  immortal  souls !  And  would  you  fain  satisfy 
your  souls  upon  such  husks  ?  If  not,  why  have  you 
been  filling  yourselves  with  them?  Why,  you  have 
degraded  yourselves  to  the  level  of  the  swine  you  feed  ! 
Oh,  when  and  where  will  this  madness  end  ?  When 
and  where  ?  Oh,  that  it  may  end  at  the  cross,  and  end 
now !  I,  too,  was  once  a  degraded  swine-herd ;  and, 
in  my  madness,  I  tried  to  fill  myself  with  this  world's 
vanities.  In  this  same  far  country,  in  these  very  fields 
of  sinful  pleasures,  in  the  service  of  this  very  citizen, 
I  not  only  fed  a  herd  of  swine  upon  husks,  but  I  also 
tried  to  fill  myself  with  these  very  husks,  and  to  satisfy 
my  soul  upon  them.  But  God  has  turned  me  from  my 
madness,  and  has  given  me  bread  enough  and  to  spare, 
and  has  received  me  back  again  to  His  bosom.  Come, 
then,  all  the  worst  of  you.     Can  you  be  worse  than  the 


]  44  THE  PEODIGAL  SON. 

chief  of  sinners  ?  and  has  not  God  received  the  chief  of 
sinners  already  ?  Come,  then,  all  you  who  are  degraded 
swine-herds  1  Come,  every  wretched  worldling,  and 
miserable  sinner,  come  to  Jesus  !  Come,  all  you  who 
have  long  tried,  and  tried  in  vain,  to  satisfy  the  crav- 
ings t)f  your  immortal  souls  upon  empty  husks — swine 
husks  !  Oh,  come  to  Jesus  !  He  is  the  bread  of  the 
soul,  the  bread  of  life,  the  bread  of  life  eternal,  the 
bread  of  heaven,  the  bread  of  God.  What  you  want 
is  Christ,  all  you  want  is  Christ,  and  Christ  is  all, 
and  Christ  is  for  you !  Oh,  that  you  may  believe,  and 
take  Him  now,  and  never  hunger ;  and  receive  Him 
now,  and  never  die !  If  you  do  not  go  to  Christ,  to 
whom  can  you  go  ?  Can  you  go  to  the  world  ?  Yes, 
you  can  ;  but  will  the  world  help  you  ?  The  starving- 
prodigal  went  to  the  world,  but  Christ  says,  "  No  man 
gave  unto  him."  I  believe  that  the  world  never  gives. 
I  believe  that  when  most  it  seems  to  give  it  only  sells ; 
and  I  believe  that  God  only  gives  ;  and  that  when  God, 
to  your  distempered  eyes,  seems  most  to  sell,  He  really 
gives.  When  you  seek  to  buy  from  God,  you  are  as 
wrong  as  when  you  seek  gifts  from  the  world  ;  and  you 
do  both.  Will  you  not  own  it?  Have  you  never 
sought  gifts  from  the  world  ?  Have  you  always  offered 
to  pay  for  everything  you  asked  from  it?  and  have  yon 
never  sought  to  buy  from  God?  Have  you  never 
offered  to  do  this  and  that,  if  God  would  do  so  and  so 
for  you?  Have  you  never  thought  you  would  pray, 
and  read  the  Bible,  and  live  a  holy  life,  by  and  by, 
and  thus  seek  to  be  saved  before  it  is  too  late  ?     Or 


THE  PRODIGAL  iSON.  1  ±5 

have  you  never  thought,  if  I  had  not  been  so  wicked 
then  I  might  have  been  saved,  but  I  am  too  bad  to  be 
saved  now  ?  Why,  my  poor,  dear  friends,  is  not  that  the 
very  thing  I  speak  of  ?  If  you  only  had  something  to 
offer  God  you  would  hope  to  be  saved ;  but  now,  as 
you  have  nothing  to  offer,  you  despair.  Is  not  this  the 
very  thing  ?  Why,  do  you  not  know  that  God  gives 
salvation  to  sinners  ?  He  gives  it.  He  alone  can  give, 
and  He  never  does  anything  but  give,  and  He  considers 
it  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive;  and  as  He 
gives  to  the  sinner,  He  is  more  blessed  than  the  sinner 
who  receives  from  Him — and  as  He  gives  most,  He  is 
the  most  blessed — and  as  He  gives  for  ever,  He  is  the 
blessed  for  ever !  Oh,  what  grace  and  what  glory  we 
have  here  !  As  God  gives,  and  only  gives,  and  gives 
most,  and  gives  ever,  He  is  the  blessed,  the  only  blessed, 
the  most  blessed,  and  the  ever  blessed  God !  Come 
then,  here  is  a  free  salvation  for  all  of  you  to  the  utter- 
most. "Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  to  the 
waters,  and  he  that  hath  no  money :  come,  buy  wine 
and  milk  without  money  and  without  price."  Have 
you  never  read  or  heard  what  Christ  said  about  the  two 
debtors?  The  one  owed  five  hundred  pence  and  the 
other  fifty,  and  neither  of  them  had  anything  to  pay ; 
and  what  did  their  creditor  do  ?  Saith  the  Lord  Jesus, 
"And  when  they  had  nothing  to  pay,  he  frankly  for- 
gave them  both.''  And  did  not  Christ  say  this  to  shew 
the  way  in  which  He  forgives  sinners  ? — that  He  for- 
gives sinners  fifty-fold  and  five  hundred-fold  in  the 
same  manner — that  they  have  none  of  them  anything 

K 


146  THE  PRODIGAL  SON. 

to  pay — and  that  when  they  come  to  Him  He  frankly 
forgives  them  all  ?  Read  the  seventh  chapter  of  Luko 
and  see.  Oh,  believe  me,  while  the  world  will  not,  and 
cannot  give  anything,  Christ  can  and  will  give  every- 
thing !  He  can  and  will  forgive  every  sin,  and  give 
every  tiring  in  the  case  of  every  sinner  who  comes  to 
Him.  May  you  come,  and  thousands  more  beside,  and 
by  grace,  through  faith  in  Christ,  be  saved  for  ever. 

But  as  our  time  is  going  fast,  I  must  pass  on  to  the 
next  point.  See,  then,  how  Christ  sets  forth,  by  this 
parable,  the  sinner's  coming  to  himself.  The  expression, 
"  coming  to  himself,"  may  seem  strange  to  some  of  you, 
but  I  just  use  Christ's  words.  Let  me  read  to  you 
the  whole  passage,  "And  when  he  came  to  himself, 
he  said,  How  many  hired  servants  of  my  father's  have 
bread  enough  and  to  spare,  and  I  perish  with  hunger? 
I  will  arise  and  go  to  my  father,  and  will  say  unto 
him,  Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven,  and  before 
thee,  and  am  no  more  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son: 
make  me  as  one  of  thy  hired  servants."  I  would  now 
most  solemnly  declare  to  you,  that  I  believe,  with 
many  others,  that  sin  is  madness,  and  that  every  uncon- 
verted sinner  is  mad.  Let  me  ask  you,  Do  you  not 
feel,  when  you  look  at  a  poor  madman,  that  he  is  not 
himself  ?  And  do  you  not  equally  feel,  when  you  look 
at  a  man  who  was  mad,  and  has  been  restored  to  the 
possession  of  his  reason,  that  he  has  come  to  himself? 
You  would  not  say  that  the  naked  maniac  wandering 
among  the  tombs  was  himself.  Surely  not.  But 
when  you  see  the  same  man  clothed,  and  sitting  at 


THE  PRODIGAL  SON.  147 

the  feet  of  Jesus,  you  say,  with  feelings  of  awe  and 
gladness,  "The  man  has  come  to  himself.''  Now,  why 
use  this  expression  when  speaking  of  the  prodigal? 
Man  has  had  two  different  minds,  a  right  mind 
and  a  wrong  mind.  The  right  mind  is  reason,  the 
mind  God  gave  man  at  the  beginning,  and  is,  there- 
fore, his  own  proper  mind ;  and  when  he  is  in  it,  he  is 
himself.  The  wrong  mind  is  folly  or  idiotcy,  is  sin 
or  madness,  is  the  mind  Satan  gave  him,  and  is  not, 
therefore,  his  own  proper  mind ;  and  when  he  is  in  it, 
he  is  not  himself.  Now,  this  last  was  the  mind  the 
prodigal  was  in  from  the  time  of  his  leaving  his  father. 
When  he  forsook  his  home,  he  was  mad.  When  he 
wasted  his  substance  in  riotous  living,  he  was  mad. 
When  he  spent  all,  and  reduced  himself  to  poverty 
and  want,  he  was  mad.  When  he  went  and  joined 
himself  to  that  certain  citizen  as  his  servant,  he  was 
mad.  When  he  went,  by  his  bidding,  into  his  fields 
to  feed  his  swine,  he  was  mad ;  and  when  he  tried  to 
fill  himself  with  the  husks  the  swine  did  eat,  he  was 
mad.  But  at  length,  the  very  misery  into  which  his 
madness  has  brought  him  drives  him  to  reflection, 
and  he  comes  again  to  his  own  mind.  Want,  beggary, 
servitude,  degradation,  and  starvation,  brought  him  to 
himself.  And  now,  mark  how  rightly  he  begins  to 
reason  and  to  speak.  It  seems  as  if  he  had  lost  his 
memory  before,  but  now  he  regains  it.  He  thinks  of 
his  father's  servants,  and  says,  "  How  many  hired 
servants  of  my  father's  have  bread  enough  and  to 
spare?"     He  sees  what  a  contrast  to  this  his  own  state 


148  THE  PRODIGAL  SON. 

is,  and  says,  with  shame,  and  grief,  and  wonder,  "And 
I  perish  with  hunger/'  He  sees  what  he  ought  to 
do,  and  resolves  to  do  it,  "I  will  arise  and  go  to  my 
father."  He  sees  his  sin.  and  resolves  to  confess  it, 
"  And  will  say  unto  him,  Father,  I  have  sinned  against 
heaven  and  before  thee ! "  He  sees  his  shame,  and 
the  treatment  he  deserves  to  receive  from  his  father, 
and  determines  to  say,  "  I  am  no  more  worthy  to  be 
called  thy  son,"  and  he  resolves  to  humble  himself, 
and  actually  to  ask  his  father  to  make  him  a  hired 
servant,  "Make  me  as  one  of  thy  hired  servants." 
Why  did  he  not  see  all  this  before?  Why,  because 
he  was  not  in  his  right  mind.  Now  he  saw  it  all,  for 
he  has  come  to  himself  ! 

Ah,  my  dear  friends,  shall  we  refuse  to  make  the 
application  of  this  to  ourselves  ?  God  forbid  !  Come, 
let  all  of  us  solemnly  reflect  upon  the  meaning  of 
Christ's  parable.  You  remember  that  man — the  first 
man — had  a  sound  mind  to  begin  with,  a  mind  created 
"in  the  image"  of  God's  mind.  But  you  also  re- 
member, that  man  listened  to  Satan,  and  sinned,  and 
fell,  and  thus  became  carnally-minded,  or  mad.  Now, 
this  carnal  mind  is  the  mind  of  every  unconverted 
person  among  you.  Such  of  you  are  not  in  your 
own  true  minds — are  not  yourselves.  The  course  you 
have  taken  proves  it.  You  have  forsaken  God  ;  you 
have  wasted  your  all  in  sinful  pleasures ;  you  have 
joined  yourselves  to  Satan ;  you  have  become  his 
common  servants  ;  and  you  have  tried  to  feed  your  im- 
mortal souls  upon  the  vanities  of  the  world ;  therefore, 


THE  PRODIGAL  SON.  149 

you  have  been  mad.  I  know  by  experience  that  it  is 
no  easy  work  to  convince  a  madman  that  he  is  mad ; 
but  I  do  not  despair,  for  I  know,  and  that  by  blessed 
experience,  that  the  truth  I  preach  to  you  is  the  mighty 
power  of  God  to  this  very  thing,  when  applied  by  the 
Holy  Spirit ;  and  I  believe  that  Holy  Spirit  is  striving 
with  many  of  you,  and  that  some  of  you  are  beginning 
now  to  see  that  the  world  is  a  great  madhouse,  and  that 
true  Christians  are  the  only  reasonable  persons  in  it, 
and  that  you  yourselves  have  long  been  out  of  your 
minds.  But,  0  my  dear  friends !  I  do  not  stand  up 
here  preaching  to  you  to  tell  you  nothing  more  than 
that  you  have  been  mad — that  would  be  but  half  the 
truth.  I  have  more  than  this  to  say  to  you.  I  point 
you  to  that  prodigal  son,  and  say,  "Behold  a  mad 
sinner  come  at  last  to  himself  !  "  Hear  how  he  speaks, 
and  see  how  he  acts,  now  he  is  himself,  and  follow  his 
example.  Oh,  look  back  to  your  Father's  house ! 
Think  how  all  his  servants,  from  the  highest  to  the 
lowest,  have  bread  enough  and  to  spare;  and  think 
how  you,  his  child,  perish  with  hunger.  Oh,  be  no 
more  deceived  by  the  devil !  Are  you  not  perishing  ? 
Are  you  not  about  to  drop  into  the  grave,  and,  worse 
still,  into  the  pit  of  hell  ?  Oh,  you  perish,  you  perish, 
you  perish  for  ever,  unless  you  return  to  your  Father ! 
Is  this  true,  and  will  you  not  believe  it  ?  or  will  you 
believe  it  and,  stifling  your  convictions,  refuse  to  con- 
fess it  ?  0  confess  that  you  perish,  and  resolve  with 
the  prodigal  to  arise,  and  go  to  your  Father.  And  now, 
do  any  of  you  see  your  sins  ?     I  am  persuaded  many 


150  THE  PEODIGAL  SON. 

of  you  do.  Resolve  then,  each  of  you,  to  confess  them 
thus  to  God — "Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven, 
and  in  thy  sight."  Humble  yourselves  lower — "  And  am 
no  more  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son."  Humble  your- 
selves lower  still — "  Make  me  as  one  of  thy  hired  ser- 
vants." Oh,  this  is  coming  to  yourselves  !  Yes,  we 
have  all  been  mad,  we  have  all  been  mad — you,  and  I, 
and  all  of  us,  my  dear  friends,  and  my  poor  fellow- 
sinners,  all  of  us,  all  of  us,  but  now  we  will  be  mad  no 
longer.  What  madness  it  was  in  us  to  forsake  our 
God !  Oh,  these  thoughts,  these  thoughts,  we  have 
sinned,  we  have  ruined  ourselves,  we  have  served 
Satan,  and  we  have  been  on  the  brink  of  perdition  ;  but 
now  we  will  return — we  will  be  ourselves  once  more ; 
we  had  rather  be  doorkeepers  in  the  house  of  our  God 
than  be  princes  dwelling  in  the  tents  of  wickedness ! 
We  were  mad  when  we  hated  God — mad  when  we  tried 
to  satisfy  our  souls  upon  vanities !  We  were  mad, 
mad,  but  now  we  will  return  and  confess  it  all ;  and  as 
we  are  no  more  worthy  to  be  called  children  of  God, 
we  will  ask  Him  to  make  us  hired  servants,  His  hired 
servants,  His  own  servants.  Oh,  it  will  be  blessed  to 
be  servants  of  the  Lord  God  Almighty !  blessed  to 
dwell  in  His  house  !  blessed  to  be  home  again !  blessed 
to  want  no  more  !  blessed  to  be  with  God !  It  would 
be  more  blessed  to  be  His  sons ;  but,  ah  !  we  are  no 
more  worthy  to  be  His  children.  No  ;  we  may  never 
be  called  His  sons  again,  but  we  may  be  called  His 
servants.  Yes ;  and  we  will  be — we  will  return  to 
Him,  and  He  will  not  refuse  to  take  His  poor,  penitent 


THE  rEODIGAL  SOU.  151 

children  back  again  ;  and  as  we  are  no  more  worthy  to 
be  called.  His  sons,  we  will  ask  Him  to  make  us  as  His 
hired  servants. 

Thus,  dear  brethren,  did  the  prodigal  resolve,  and 
thus  do  we.  But  behold  now,  with  admiration  and 
delight,  how  Christ  describes  the  blessed  reception  the 
prodigal  met  with  when  lie  reached  his  father,  and 
thus  sets  forth  what  kind  of  treatment  we  may  expect 
to  receive  from  God  when  we  return  to  Him.  Let  me 
read  His  very  words  to  you,  "  And  he  arose,  and  came 
to  his  father.  But  when  he  was  yet  a  great  way  off, 
his  father  saw  him,  and  had  compassion,  and  ran,  and 
fell  on  his  neck,  and  kissed  him.  And  the  son  said 
unto  him,  Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven,  and 
in  thy  sight,  and  am  no  more  worthy  to  be  called  thy 
son.  But  the  father  said  to  his  servants,  Bring  forth 
the  best  robe,  and  put  it  on  him  ;  and  put  a  ring  on 
his  hand,  and  shoes  on  his  feet :  and  bring  hither  the 
fatted  calf,  and  kill  it ;  and  let  us  eat,  and  be  merry : 
for  this  my  son  was  dead,  and  is  alive  again  ;  he  was 
lost,  and  is  found.     And  they  began  to  be  merry." 

Behold  how  Christ  sets  forth,  by  these  words,  the 
sinner  s  return  to  God,  and  the  blessed  reception  God 
gives  him.  Having  made  the  resolution  to  return,  the 
prodigal  keeps  it.  Christ  says,  li  And  he  arose  and  came 
to  his  father/'  0  my  friends  !  have  you  all  made  up 
your  minds  to  arise  and  go  to  your  Father?  Why 
linger  here  ?  Why  perish  ?  and  if  you  have  made  up 
your  minds  to  come  home  again,  why  not  arise  at 
once?     Why  not  turn  your  faces   heavenward  now? 


152  THE  PRODIGAL  SON. 

Can  it  be  that  you  are  still  allured  by  the  world,  and 
deceived  by  Satan  ?  What !  will  you  perish  after  all  ? 
No,  God  forbid!  See  how  Christ  would  undeceive 
you  by  telling  you  the  truth,  and  allure  you  home  by 
shewing  you  the  love  of  God.  Hear  how  He  describes 
the  way  God  receives  a  penitent  sinner  when  he 
returns  !  "  And  when  he  was  yet  a  great  way  off,"  says 
Christ,  "his  father  saw  him,  and  had  compassion,  and 
ran,  and  fell  on  his  neck,  and  kissed  him  ! "  And  can 
it  be  that  God  will  receive  you  thus  ?  What !  will  His 
compassion  lead  Him  to  run  with  open  arms  to  em- 
brace you  ?  What,  God  !  Oh,  what  a  revelation  Christ 
has  here  made  of  the  love  of  God — of  the  condescend- 
ing, compassionate,  tender,  unutterable  love  of  God! 
But,  can  this  be  true  ?  will  God  run  with  open  arms  to 
embrace  repenting  sinners  ?  Oh,  yes  !  the  testimonies 
of  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  have  proved  the 
truth  of  these  blessed  words.  Countless  multitudes 
have  already  come  to  God  and  found  them  true. 
Doubt  no  more.  Yes,  poor  sinner,  while  you  are  yefc 
a  great  way  off  God  will  see  you — see  the  first  thought 
of  returning  that  comes  across  your  mind,  the  first 
longing  after  home  and  forgiveness,  and  rest — the  first 
feelings  of  sorrow  for  sin  against  so  good  a  Father. 
And  He  will  not  turn  His  face  away  in  anger,  but  He 
will  turn  it  towards  you  with  tears.  Oh,  this  God — 
I  say  God — will  feel  for  you.  God  will  feel !  will  He  ? 
Will  the  Great  God  feel  compassion  ?  Will  that  Great 
God  feel  compassion  ?  Oh,  can  it  be  ?  Will  all  His 
bosom  heave,  and  all  His  heart  swell  with  feelings  of 


THE  PliODlGAL  SON.  153 

tenderest  compassion?  Will  He  think,  Oh,  here  is 
my  wandering  child  coming  back  to  me?  He  has 
turned  to  me  at  last — he  has  come  to  weep  upon  my 
bosom.  Yes,  He  will  have  compassion,  and  will 
run  towards  thee — swiftly  will  He  come — and  will  fall 
on  thy  neck,  thou  poor  outcast,  thou  guilty  one,  thou 
faltering,  trembling  sinner — will  fall  on  thy  neck,  and 
kiss  thee — oh,  who  knows  God's  kiss  but  those  that 
have  felt  it? — will  wrap  His  holy,  holy,  holy  arms 
around  thee,  and  bury  His  face  in  thy  bosom,  and 
hold  thee  to  His  heart,  and  kiss  thee.  Oh,  what  is 
this  ?  The  embrace  of  God  ?  No,  no.  What !  The 
embrace  of  God  ?  Sinner !  if  you  return,  God  will  as 
much  embrace  you  as  if  He  threw  human  arms  about 
your  neck,  and  laid  a  human  face,  pale  with  sorrow, 
and  joy,  and  love,  upon  your  bosom,  and  wept  human 
tears  upon  you,  and  kissed  you  with  human  lips  ! 
Yes,  God  is  love  !  Never,  perhaps, .  did  you  think  of 
this  till  now — and  poor  and  weak  are  your  thoughts 
about  it  still — but  come  to  God  and  prove  the  truth  of 
it.  Yes,  you  may  come  and  say  to  Him,  "  Father ; " 
for,  though  you  have  broken  His  commandments,  and 
undone  your  soul,  He  is  your  Fat\er;  though  you 
have  forsaken  and  forgotten  Him,  He  is  your  Father ; 
"  Father,  I  have  sinned" — I  have  sinned  against  Thee, 
and  I  have  sinned  in  Thy  sight ;  Thou  hast  seen  it  all ; 
never  didst  Thou  take  Thine  eye  off  me — "  and  I  am 
no  more  worthy  to  be  called  Thy  son."  But  you  may 
not  add,  "Make  me  as  one  of  thy  hired  servants,'"  for 
His  embrace  forbids  it.    He  would  not  embrace  a  hired 


154  THE  PRODIGAL  SON". 

servant.  And  He  will  not  say,  "  You  are  a  guilty  child.*7 
He  will  not  say,  "  You  are  no  more  worthy  to  be  called 
my  son."  No,  no  ;  He  will  not  break  the  heart  already 
bruised  and  bleeding.  No  ;  but,  He  will  say,  "  Bring 
forth  the  best  robe,  bring  the  robe  of  the  righteousness 
of  Christ,  and  put  it  on  Him  ;  and  put  a  ring  on  his 
hand,  and  shoes  on  his  feet :  place  the  pledge  of  love 
and  sonship  and  heirship  upon  his  hand,  and  put  the 
shoes  of  the  preparation  of  the  gospel  of  peace  upon 
his  feet :  and  bring  hither  the  fatted  calf,  and  kill  it, 
and  let  us  eat  and  be  merry :  spread  my  table  with 
the  rich  blessings  of  the  gospel,  fill  my  hungry  child 
with  the  choicest  food ;  he  fed  on  swine's  husks  once, 
and  then  he  starved,  and  now  he  has  come  home  to  ask 
for  hired  servants'  bread ;  but,  kill  the  fatted  calf  for 
him ;  satisfy  him  with  the  richest  food,  and  let  us  eat, 
and  be  merry :  for  this  my  son  was  dead,  and  is  alive 
again  ;  he  was  lost,  and  is  found." 

We  are  all  of  us  prodigals.  Oh,  would  that  we  were 
at  home  again !  oh,  would  that  we  were  with  our  father 
and  our  God  again !  Come  home,  all  of  you,  come 
home  to  God  !  You  who  have  wandered  far — you  who 
have  forgotten  you  ever  had  a  home — you  who  have 
sinned  against  so  kind  a  God — you  who  have  forgotten 
that  you  ever  had  a  Father  in  heaven — you  who  have 
been  degraded  and  enslaved  by  sin  and  Satan — all  of 
you,  come  home,  come  home  !  One  who  has  been  him- 
self a  prodigal  and  an  outcast,  but  who  has  become  a 
penitent,  and  has  been  forgiven,  freely  forgiven  for  all, 
for  ever,   entreats  you  to  come  home  to  God!     Oh, 


THE  PEODIGAL  SON.  155 

come,  come  home  !  You  know  that  when  the  prodigal 
son  came  home,  and  was  forgiven  and  embraced  by  his 
father,  all  his  father's  friends  and  servants  began  to 
rejoice.  So  it  shall  be  with  you.  Come  home,  and  all 
the  angels  in  heaven  will  be  rejoicing  over  your  return  ! 
Come  home,  and  all  the  saints  in  glory  will  rejoice  with 
the  angels  over  you,  and  Christ  will  rejoice,  and  God 
the  Father  will  rejoice,  and  you  shall  rejoice  with  them 
with  joy  unspeakable,  and  full  of  glory ;  and,  at  last, 
you  shall  be  carried  up  by  the  angels  to  your  Father's 
house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens, 
and  there  shall  you  dwell  amid  joy  and  gladness,  and 
sorrow  and  sighing  shall  flee  away ! 

Return,  0  wanderer,  to  thy  home, 

Thy  Father  calls  for  thee  ; 
No  longer  now  an  exile  roam, 

In  guilt  and  misery. 

Return  !  Return ! 

Return,  0  wanderer,  to  thy  home, 

'Tis  Jesus  calls  for  thee ; 
The  Spirit  and  the  bride  say,  Com©  \ 

Oh,  now,  for  refuge  flee. 

Return  !  Return  ! 

Return,  O  wanderer,  to  thy  home, 

'Tis  madness  to  delay  ; 
There  are  no  pardons  in  the  tomb, 

And  brief  is  mercy's  day. 
Return  1  Return ! 


SERMON  VIII. 


CHRIST  PRE-EMINENT. 

Col.  i.  18. 

"  And  he  is  the  head  of  the  body,  the  church :  who  is  the  begin- 
ning, the  first-born  from  the  dead ;  that  in  all  things  he  might 
have  the  pre-eminence." 

The  words  of  the  text  are  these — "That  in  all  things 
he  might  have  the  pre-eminence/' 

More  than  a  thousand  years  ago  were  uttered  the 
words — "If  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new 
creature ;  old  things  have  passed  away,  behold  all 
things  are  become  new ;"  and  the  man  who  uttered 
them  was  himself  a  blessed  example  of  their  meaning. 
Saul  the  persecutor  and  Paul  the  apostle  were  two 
different  creatures,  and  yet  the  same :  the  one  a 
sinner,  the  other  a  saint ;  the  one  a  proud  Pharisee, 
the  other  an  humble  Christian ;  the  one  a  guilty 
murderer,  the  other  a  holy  minister ;  the  one  a  child 
of  hell,  the  other  an  heir  of  heaven.  God  lifted  Saul 
out  of  himself,  and  set  him  down  "in  Christ,  a  new 


CIIRIST  PRE-EMINENT.  157 

creature."  And  now,  for  one  hard  thought  of  hatred 
to  Jesus  he  once  harboured  in  his  bosom,  a  thousand 
burning  thoughts  of  love  to  Him  glowed  in  his  soul ;  in- 
stead of  pouring  the  foulest  contempt  upon  Christ's  name, 
he  wore  it  as  a  crown  of  glory  upon  his  brow  ;  and 
instead  of  stripping  and  exposing  to  unutterable  insult 
the  humble,  unresisting  "  Man  of  Sorrows,"  he  kissed 
His  bleeding  feet,  and  rising,  wrapped  his  arms  about 
Him,  to  live  and  cover  Him  from  shame  and  undeserved 
reproach,  or  die,  in  the  attempt,  upon  His  bosom! 
"To  me,"  he  cries,  "to  live  is  Christ,  and  to  die  is 
gain/' 

Now,  Paul  the  Apostle  having  become  a  converted 
man,  through  the  grace  of  God,  is  filled  with  the  Holy 
Spirit ;  and  the  more  of  the  Holy  Spirit  a  man  has, 
the  more  that  man  will  love  Jesus  Christ ;  and  the 
more  a  man  loves  Jesus  Christ,  the  more  he  will 
meditate  on  Jesus  Christ ;  and  the  more  he  meditates 
on  Jesus  Christ,  the  more  he  will  speak  of  Jesus  Christ, 
not  in  a  cold,  formal  way ;  nor  in  a  strained,  affected 
way  ;  nor  in  a  sanctimonious,  canting  way ;  but  in  an 
humble,  natural  way,  like  an  affectionate  child  speaking 
of  a  holy,  devoted  parent;  and  not  simply  with  his 
lips — his  looks,  and  his  deeds,  and  his  life  shall  speak 
eloquently  also.  And  now,  Paul  seems  so  filled  with 
Christ,  that  he  hardly  ever  thinks,  or  speaks,  or  sings, 
or  writes,  or  preaches  about  anything  else.  And  so 
we  find  in  all  his  epistles,  he  never  misses  an  oppor- 
tunity of  exalting  Jesus  ;  and  often,  when  speaking  of 
things  which  lead  him  gradually  to  Christ,  you  remark 


158  CHRIST  PRE-EMINENT. 

how  his  soul  seems  to  swell  within  him,  while  he  writes 
his  very  heart  upon  the  page  ;  until,  rising  from  earth, 
forgetting  all  beside — gazing  in  adoration  on  the  glory 
of  Jesus — he  bursts  out  with  such  glowing  exclama- 
tions as  these, — "The  love  of  Christ,  which  passeth 
knowledge!"  "The  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ!" 
"God  forbid  that  I  should  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ! "  "  Who  shall  separate  us  from 
the  love  of  Christ  I "  "I  count  all  things  but  loss  for 
the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ  my 
Lord ! "  "  Great  is  the  mystery  of  godliness ! "  "  Christ 
is  all ! "  "  Jesus  Christ,  the  same  yesterday,  to-day, 
and  for  ever  ! "  And  here,  in  writing  to  the  Colossian 
Christians,  he  says  of  Him,  "  Who  is  the  image  of  the 
invisible  God !  the  first-born  of  every  creature !  for 
by  Him  were  all  things  created  that  are  in  heaven, 
and  that  are  in  the  earth,  visible  and  invisible,  whether 
they  be  thrones,  or  dominions,  or  principalities,  or 
powers,  all  things  were  created  by  Him  !  and  for  Him  ! 
and  He  is  before  all  things !  and  by  Him  all  things 
consist !  and  He  is  the  head  of  the  body — the  Church  ! 
who  is  the  beginning !  the  first-born  from  the  dead ! 
that  in  all  things  lie  might  have  the  pre-eminence  !  " 
Oh,  may  the  great  God  help  me,  also,  to  extol  my 
precious  Jesus  !  He  has  forgiven  me  much,  and  I  have 
loved  Him  little ;  but,  with  God's  help,  I  '11  love  Him 
more ;  and  may  God  help  you  to  love  Him  more  than 
ever,  and  for  evermore !     Amen. 

In   order  to   shew  you  something  of  Christ's  all- 
pre-eminence,  I  shall  try  to  point  out  to  you  these  six 


CHRIST  PRE-EMINENT.  150 

things :  That  Christ  is  the  first — the  mightiest — the 
richest — the  higJiest — the  loveliest— and  the  last. 

I.  Christ  is  the  First. 

You  read,  in  the  fifteenth  verse  of  this  chapter,  these 
words,  "  Who  is  the  first-born  of  every  creature ; "  and 
here  we  have  Christ's  pre-eminence  in  age.  Now,  do 
not  make  a  mistake,  and  infer  from  these  words  that 
Christ  is  only  a  creature.  We  know  that  Jesus,  the 
Son  of  man,  was  a  creature ;  but  we  also  know  that 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  was  more  than  a  creature. 
The  one  was  a  created  man,  the  other  was  the  Creator 
of  man  ;  being  both,  He  was  the  God-man,  Emmanuel. 
"  But/'  you  ask,  "  was  Christ  Jesus  really  before  every 
creature  ?  Was  not  even  John  the  Baptist  before  Him  ?" 
What  says  He  of  Himself?  Does  He  not  say,  when 
comparing  Himself  with  Abraham,  the  father  of  the 
Jewish  nation,  "  Before  Abraham  was,  i"  am  ?  "  And 
is  He  not  called  in  the  Scriptures,  "The  everlasting 
Son  of  the  Father  ? n  0  venerable  Jesus !  who  can 
be  compared  to  Thee  ?  Who  would  compare  a  prattling 
infant  with  a  gray-headed  sage,  though  there  be  only  the 
difference  of  seventy  years  between  them  ?  And  are 
not  we  of  yesterday,  and  art  not  Thou  from  everlasting  ? 
There  are  archangels  in  heaven  who  sung  Thy  j^raises 
o'er  the  hills  of  Bethlehem,  and  saw  Thy  wonders  in 
the  land  of  Egypt,  and  at  the  flood,  and  at  the  birth 
of  nature  ;  but  the  most  hoary  archangel  in  heaven  sits 
at  Thy  feet  like  a  new-born  infant,  when  compared  with 
Thee  !  Thy  head  and  Thy  hairs  are  "  white  like  wool, 
as  white  as  snow,"  and  Thine  eyes,  that  have  seen  all 


1G0  CHE1ST  PRE-EMINENT. 

that  ever  was,  are  still  un  dimmed,  and  "  as  a  flame  of 
fire  ; "  for  Thou  art  the  first  and  eldest  in  the  universe  ; 
Thou  art  as  old  as  Gocl ! 

Oh,  what  glory  hath  Christ !  Have  you  ever  tried 
to  look  at  Christ  as  "  the  everlasting  Father  ? "  Why 
surely,  as  the  mushroom  springs  up  in  a  night  under 
the  oak  that  hath  stood  for  centuries  ;  so  hath  mankind 
grown  into  existence  beneath  the  shadow  of  Jehovah 
Jesus  !  Surely,  as  the  streamlet  from  the  passing  rain- 
shower  runs  into  the  mighty  river  that  comes  rolling 
through  a  thousand  valleys ;  so  doth  the  course  of  all 
time  run  into  the  everlasting  flood,  Jehovah  Jesus  ! 
Surely,  as  the  mole-hill  rises  in  an  hour,  hard-by  the 
foot  of  the  cloud-capped  Himalayan  mountains ;  so  hath 
all  creation  risen,  as  in  an  hour,  at  the  very  foot  of  the 
immeasurably  great  and  unchanging  Jehovah  Jesus! 
And  surely,  as  the  fresh-lit  candle  casts  its  light  around 
a  little  spot  of  earth,  on  which  the  evening  star  is 
shining,  that  hath  flung  its  beams  across  dark  space 
for  ages ;  so  all  heaven  beameth  as  a  faint,  new  light, 
beneath  the  brightness  that  hath  always  been,  the  ever- 
lasting glory  of  Jehovah  Jesus ! 

"  Eternity  with  all  its  years, 
Stands  present  in  His  view, 
To  Him  there 's  nothing  old  appears, 
To  Him  there  's  nothing  new  !  " 

If  you  now  read  the  eighteenth  verse,  you  will  see 
that  Christ  is  the  first  in  another  way  also,  "  Who  is 
the  beginning,  the  first-born  from  the  dead,  that  in 


CHRIST  PRE-EMINENT.  161 

all  things  he  might  have  the  pre-eminence."  Who  was 
the  first  that  triumphed  over  death,  and  left  the  grave 
for  ever  ?  None  other  than  Jesus  !  How  so  ?  Did 
not  saints  arise  from  their  graves  the  same  hour  Jesus 
died  on  Calvary  ?  Did  not  Jesus  himself  raise  Lazarus, 
Jarius's  daughter,  and  the  widow  of  Nain's  son,  and 
all  before  His  own  death  ?  And  did  not  the  old  pro- 
phets raise  the  dead  many  ages  before  the  resurrection 
of  Christ  ?  Mark  you  !  all  these  died  again,  and  must 
be  raised  again ;  their  resurrection  has  yet  to  come, 
but  Christ's  is  past ;  it  is  upwards  of  eighteen  hundred 
years  since  Christ  was  raised,  and  the  great  resurrection 
of  saints  has  not  happened  yet ;  so  that  Jesus  has, 
without  a  doubt,  the  pre-eminence  in  this  of  eighteen 
hundred  years  above  all  who  shall  be  raised,  and  of 
two,  three,  four,  and  five  thousand  years,  and  more, 
over  vast  generations  of  others  besides.  Here  is  pre- 
eminence !  It  would  not  do  for  God  to  leave  that 
precious  body  in  the  grave  to  see  corruption  ;  it  would 
not  do  for  God  to  keep  it  there  miraculously,  without 
corruption,  until  the  general  judgment ;  it  would  not 
do  for  God  to  raise  it  at  the  sound  of  the  trumpet, 
and  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  when  time  shall  be 
no  longer.  Nay !  For  that  form  must  sit  on  the 
descending  clouds  of  heaven,  amid  assembled  angels, 
in  that  great  day  ;  and  His  voice  must  utter  the  solemn 
shout  that  shall  wake  the  dead,  and  usher  in  eternity. 
Therefore  did  an  angel  descend  with  look  of  lightning, 
and  robe  like  snow,  and  while  the  earth  quaked  beneath 
his  feet,  rolled  back  the  stone  from  the  grave's  mouth, 

L 


162  CHRIST  TEE-EMINENT. 

and  sat  upon  it,  and  from  the  sleep  of  death,  long  ere 
the  judgment  trump,  Jesus  arose,  "  the  first-born  from 
the  dead,  that  in  all  things  He  might  have  the  pre- 
eminence/' But  think  again,  is  He  not  first  in  another 
way  ?  Is  He  not,  as  man,  the  first  glorified  ?  and  is  He 
not  thus  our  "  forerunner  within  the  vail  ? "  "  What 
of  all  the  saints,"  you  say,  "who  died  and  went  to 
glory  before  His  resurrection  and  ascension  ? "  I  ask 
you,  Are  they  glorified  now  as  the  saints  shall  yet  be  ? 
Have  they  their  resurrection  bodies  yet?  Have  they 
been  clothed  upon  with  those  bodies  of  loveliness  in 
perfection,  which  all  blood- washed  immortals  shall  yet 
wear  in  the  third  heaven  ?  You  say,  "  They  have  not, 
with  two  exceptions/'  What  two  ?  You  say,  "  Enoch 
and  Elijah/'  Now,  first,  how  do  you  know  so  certainly 
that  Enoch  and  Elijah  are  clothed  with  those  bodies 
as  yet  ?  How  are  you  so  certain  that  theirs  is  not  a 
temporary  glory  to  be  changed,  at  "  the  last  trump," 
into  something  still  brighter?  You  say,  "Elijah  ap- 
peared in  that  glory  on  the  mount  when  Christ  was 
transfigured."  And  did  not  Moses  also?  And  has 
not  Moses  yet  to  be  raised  from  the  dead,  and  be 
further  glorified,  seeing  he  was  not  translated  like  the 
others,  but  died  like  his  fathers  ?  And,  secondly,  how 
can  you  compare  their  entrance  into  heaven  with  our 
Lord's,  seeing  He  rose  from  the  grave  to  that  glory, 
whereas,  they  never  were  in  the  grave?  I  behold  all 
saints  being  carried  to  their  tombs,  and  Jesus  also 
borne  thither  by  His  mourning  followers.  I  behold 
two  saints,  before  ever  they  reach  the  grave,  caught 


CHRIST  PRE-EMINENT.  163 

up  and  carried  away,  as  on  angels'  wings,  to  heaven ! 
Next,  I  behold  Jesus  rising  from  the  grave,  and  ascend- 
ing swiftly  through  the  opening  and  closing  clouds  of 
heaven  to  glory ;  and,  after  a  while,  I  behold  every 
grave  opened,  and  a  train  of  white-robed  saints  that 
seems  never-ending,  passing  upward  through  the  skies  ; 
and,  as  they  reach  the  everlasting  city,  I  behold  those 
two  saints  with  them ;  and  one,  like  unto  the  Son  of 
God,  crowned  with  pre-eminence,  stands  with  out- 
stretched arms  above  them,  and,  as  they  enter,  wel- 
comes them  all  to  glory — and  so  the  gates  are  closed 
for  ever.  Blessed  be  God !  our  despised  and  world- 
forgotten  Jesus  wears,  at  this  very  moment,  a  human 
body,  shining  with  immortal  splendour,  and  sits,  as 
the  first  risen  and  glorified  man,  the  lovely  picture  and 
precious  pledge  of  our  immortality,  yonder,  at  the  right 
hand  of  the  throne  of  God,  "That  in  all  things  He 
might  have  the  pre-eminence/' 

II.  Christ  is  the  Mightiest. 

I  confess  I  hardly  know  how  to  speak  of  Christ's 
pre-eminence  in  this  respect.  To  any  thoughtful  per- 
son, it  seems  almost  idle  to  say  that  no  creature  living 
has  any  power  that  can  equal  Christ's,  it  is  so  evident 
a  thing ;  and  as  sure  as  this  is  true,  there  is  no  living- 
creature,  be  he  man,  angel,  or  devil,  whose  might  will 
bear  any  comparison  whatever  to  the  might  of  Jesus. 
What  comparison  can  there  be  between  theirs,  which 
is  created  might,  and  Christ's,  which  is  uncreated  ?  If 
the  power  of  men,  angels,  and  devils,  can  be  measured, 
and  the  power  of  Christ  cannot  be  measured,  how  can 


lGi  CHRIST  PKE-EMINENT. 

you  compare  them?     And  is  not  their  power  finite, 
and  His  infinite  ?     Oh  !  here  is  pre-eminence. 

Would  you  look  still  further  into  this  glory  of 
Christ  ?  Tli  en  read  the  sixteenth  verse  of  this  chapter, 
"  For  by  Him  were  all  things  created  that  are  in  heaven, 
and  that  are  in  earth,  visible  and  invisible,  whether 
they  be  thrones,  or  dominions,  or  principalities,  or 
powers  ;  all  things  were  created  by  Him,  and  for  Him." 
Now,  for  a  moment,  try  to  realise  Christ's  creating  all 
things  visible.  Behold  Him  travelling  through  empty 
space,  in  solitary  majesty,  upborne  on  the  outstretched 
wings  of  His  omnipotence.  Hark  !  He  speaks,  and  lo! 
a  world  without  form  and  void,  eight  thousand  miles 
in  thickness,  rolls  up  into  existence,  and  moves  steadily 
round  and  onwards  before  Him.  Hark !  He  speaks 
ana  in,  and  lo!  a  sudden  glory  breaks  out,  and  spreading 
swiftly,  scatters  all  the  darkness  to  the  far  edges  of  the 
earth ;  and  darkness  lies  beneath,  and  light  above,  sepa- 
rated by  a  gray  band  of  twilight.  Hark !  He  speaks 
again,  and  lo  !  a  heaven  stretches  round  the  earth,  stand- 
ing on  the  waters  beneath,  and  carrying  in  its  bosom  the 
waters  above;  wearing  a  robe  of  many  colours,  edged 
around  with  night.  Hark!  He  speaks  again,  and  lo ! 
the  mighty  deep  rolls  backward  and  lays  bare  its  bed ; 
and  from  amid  the  waters  rise  whole  continents,  sepa- 
rated  by  long  sandy  beaches  from  the  surging  seas; 
and  lo  !  the  earth  stands  dressed  in  green,  carrying  in 
its  hollow  lap  sweet  herbs  and  flowers,  and  on  its 
shoulders  and  bosom  dark  brown  forests,  waving  softly 
in  the  wind.    Hark !  He  speaks  again,  and  lo !  a  brilliant, 


CIIFJST  PRE-EMINENT.  165 

burning  orb  rolls  in  the  Leavens,  making  the  earth  to 
glow  beneath  it ;  and  in  the  distance  a  rounded  light, 
less  lustrous,  pale  and  beautiful,  moves  slowly  through 
the  rising  shadows,  waiting  for  darkness ;  and  lower 
still,  a  multitude  of  lights,  like  sands  of  burning  gold, 
shine  on  the  shores  of  a  great  continent  of  gloom, 
towards  which  the  world's  brighter  half  is  slowly  sail- 
ing ;  and  lo !  living  creatures,  in  countless  multitudes, 
swim  in  the  air  above,  and  in  the  sea  beneath,  and  fill 
the  upper  solitude  with  songs  of  gladness,  and  make 
the  silent  deep  to  dance  and  eddy  with  their  delight, 
and  sparkle  in  the  sunshine.  Hark  !  He  speaks  again, 
and  lo  !  living  creatures,  in  countless  multitudes,  move 
among  the  valleys  and  mountains,  and  one  ariseth 
from  the  earth,  formed  in  the  image  of  his  great 
Creator,  to  dwell  upon  it  and  have  dominion  over  every 
creature ;  and  lo  !  He  sealeth  with  deep  sleep  the  eye- 
lids of  the  man,  and  from  his  bosom  takes  a  rib  and 
forms  it  into  woman,  and  brings  her  to  the  man,  and 
blesseth  them,  and  looking  round  sees  all  that  He  has 
made,  and  all  is  good !  Oh,  here  is  wonderful  pre- 
eminence ! — Jesus,  the  Creator  of  all  things  visible  ! 

But  stop,  and  think.  Is  not  all  this  visible  creation 
but  the  "  Gate  Beautiful,"  opening  into  the  holy  temple 
of  the  invisible  creation  1  And  did  not  Jesus  create 
the  temple  as  well  as  the  porch  ?  And  is  not  the  temple 
greater  than  the  porch  ?  Oh,  here  is  glory  !  But  what 
can  earth-born  mortals  know  of  this  ?  Who  can  de- 
scribe Christ  creating  the  angels,  and  archangels,  and 
the  principalities,  and  powers,  of  the  unseen  world? 


166  CHRIST  PRE-EMINENT. 

Who  can  describe  the  invisible  assemblage,  and  the 
invisible  kingdom,  and  the  invisible  glory ;  and  how, 
at  His  command,  these  rose  from  nothing  into  life  eter- 
nal, and  stood,  as  a  vast  spiritual  superstructure,  about 
the  throne  of  God  ? 

If  I  try  to  follow  these  thoughts  upward,  higher  and 
still  higher,  my  brain  reels,  and  I  sink  back  again  in 
utter  amazement.  But  what  are  these  overwhelming 
thoughts  compared  with  the  things  themselves  ?  Are 
they  not  but  as  miserable  fancies  ?  0  my  God,  what 
glory  is  this  !  And  this  is  Christ's  !  Oh,  here  is  pre- 
eminence  passing  knowledge — and  all  Thine  own,  im- 
mortal Jesus!  And  I  will  not  hesitate  to  say  that 
Thine  arm  is  still  almighty,  and  that  if  Thou  wouldst, 
Thou  couldst  double  all  this,  yea,  and  multiply  it  a 
hundredfold — yea,  Thou  couldst  create  ten  thousand 
such  creations,  and  people  space  with  systems  as  innu- 
merable as  the  years  of  Thy  eternity !  Thy  power  and 
Thy  pre-eminence  are  equal  and  infinite. 

Now,  before  we  go  further,  let  us  each  one  turn 
aside,  and  lift  up  our  hearts  in  silent  adoration  of  Jesus, 
and  with  the  apostle,  humbly  and  believingly  say,  "  My 
Lord,  and  my  God!" 

Now,  turn  back  to  the  first  of  Colossians,  and  read 
the  seventeenth  verse — "  And  he  is  before  all  things, 
and  by  him  all  things  consist/'  So  Jesus  is  the  Pre- 
server of  all  things,  as  well  as  the  Creator  of  all  things 
— "by  Him  all  things  consist"  And  does  Christ  up- 
hold and  control  all  the  universe  ?  Yes !  Glory  to 
Him  !     I  could  not  by  myself  move  a  rock  of  two  tons' 


CHRIST  PRE-EMINENT.  167 

weight,  for  all  heaven,  much  less  could  I  move  a  moun- 
tain ;  but  He  rolls  the  world  through  space  like  a  play- 
thing, and  moves  along  the  innumerable  systems  of 
planets,  and  suns,  and  stars,  in  their  enormous  orbits. 
I  could  not  carry  any  weight  very7  long ;  I  cannot  even 
carry  myself  many  hours  without  weariness;  but  He 
carries  all  creation — all  burdens  and  weights  put  to- 
gether ;  and  that  every  hour,  and  on  from  age  to  age, 
and  never  tires.  I  could  not  make  two  watches  go 
quite  alike ;  no  watchmaker  on  earth  could  make  two 
watches  keep  exactly  the  same  time  from  month  to 
month.  But  He  keeps  countless  suns,  and  moons,  and 
stars,  and  comets,  and  systems,  ever  moving  in  immea- 
surable circles,  and  preserves  the  revolving  mechanism 
of  the  great  universe  in  ever-even,  everlasting  progress. 
And  what  limit  is  there  to  this  power  of  Jesus  ?  What 
system  or  universe  could  He  not  manage  ?  Were  there 
an  enormous  world,  with  a  circumference  as  large  as 
the  great  orbit  of  that  distant  planet  that  takes  more 
than  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  to  travel  in  it  round 
our  sun ;  and  were  there  a  stupendous  system  of  such 
planets  rolled  into  space  by  an  effort  of  omnipotence ; 
yea,  were  there  thousands  of  such  systems  upon  thou- 
sands, stretching  around  through  dark  immensity  ;  our 
wondrous  Jesus  could  support  and  manage  the  vast 
whole  as  easily  as  He  now  supports  and  manages  the 
solar  system.     His  power  is  infinite  !     He  is  God ! 

But  He  is  pre-eminent,  too,  as  the  Destroyer.  Have 
you  ever  thought  how  impossible  it  is  for  you  to  destroy 
utterly  any  piece  of  matter  in  existence?      You  can 


1 68  CHK1ST  PKE-EMINENT. 

tear  a  book  to  tatters,  but  you  cannot  utterly  destroy 
the  matter  of  which  it  is  made.  Burn  the  book,  and 
you  only  make  it  take  another  form — the  matter  shall 
^tiil  exist  in  gases,  smoke,  and  ashes ;  and  if  God 
•,  He  could  prove  it  by  calling  those  particles  back 
again,  and  restoring  once  more  the  very  book  you  burned. 
But  Christ  has  the  power  to  annihilate  anything  He  has 
made — yea,  He  has  but  to  speak  the  word,  and  all 
heaven,  earth,  and  hell,  shall  sink  back  again  into 
nothingness,  and  leave  Him  alone  in  silent  space  with 
God.  This  is  He  who  holdeth  the  arrows  of  death  in 
His  hand,  and  the  flames  of  hell  in  the  hollow  of  His 
hand.  This  is  He  who  will  breathe  out  pestilence  and 
plague,  and  send  forth  night  and  tempest,  and  pour 
down  floods  and  fire,  and  sweep  away  sin,  and  Satan, 
and  sorrow,  and  death,  into  everlasting  hell  in  the  day 
of  judgment.  And,  oh!  who  shall  stand  before  "the 
wrath  of  the  Lamb  ? "  Oh,  let  us  flee  to  Him  now  for 
mercy,  lest  we  have  to  flee  from  Him  then  in  judgment ; 
for  He  waiteth  still  to  be  gracious,  but  will  not  wait 
much  longer ;  therefore  now,  "  To-day,  if  ye  will  hear 
His  voice,  harden  not  your  hearts/'  but  "repent/'  and 
"  save  yourselves  from  this  untoward  generation  ;  "  for 
oh  !  "  how  shall  we  escape,  if  we  neglect  so  great  sal- 
vation ? " 

III.  Christ  is  the  Richest. 

If  you  look  back  to  the  tenth  verse,  you  will  see  that 
Christ  owns  all  the  treasures  of  creation.  The  apostle 
says — "  All  things  were  created  by  him,  and  for  him!'1 
Here  is  another  revelation  of  Christ's  unparalleled  pre- 


CHRIST  PRE-EMINENT.  169 

eminence.  There  is  not  a  flower  or  shell  that  ever  lay 
in  the  lap  of  nature  that  does  not  belong  to  Jesus  ;  and 
He  has  flowers  and  shells  as  countless  as  the  sand  of  the 
sea  !  There  is  not  a  bird  or  insect  in  the  air,  or  fish  or 
weed  in  the  water,  or  tree  or  animal  on  the  earth,  that 
does  not  belong  to  Jesus;  and  He  has  birds,  and  insects, 
and  sea-weeds,  and  forests,  and  living  creatures  innu- 
merable, on  every  island  in  the  ocean,  and  in  every  part 
of  the  world.  There  is  not  a  star  in  the  sky,  or  an  angel 
in  heaven,  that  does  not  belong  to  Jesus ;  and  He  has 
systems  of  stars,  and  constellations  of  stars,  and  nebulae 
of  stars,  and  stretches,  and  galleries,  and  ways,  and 
shores,  and  domes,  and  clouds  of  stars,  in  myriads 
multiplied  by  myriads ;  and  He  has  companies  of  angels, 
and  congregations,  and  throngs,  and  legions,  and  armies, 
and  hosts,  and  nations,  and  seas  of  angels,  shining  in 
wrhite  myriads  round  the  throne !  Oh,  rich,  rich  Jesus ! 
how  Thou  art  pre-eminent ! 

Turn  now  to  the  second  chapter  of  Colossians,  and 
read  what  Paul  says  in  the  third  verse  about  more  of 
Christ's  riches — "  In  whom  are  hid  all  the  treasures  of 
wisdom  and  knowledge."  Now  think.  How  poor  is 
our  knowledge  !  They  say,  "  One  half  the  world  does 
not  know  how  the  other  half  lives ; "  but  the  fact  is, 
no  one  knows  how  he  himself  lives ;  every  one  is  a 
mystery  to  himself.  Who  can  understand  all  that  is 
going  on  within  his  body  every  minute?  Who  can 
understand  his  own  mind — his  memory,  reason,  and 
imagination  ?  Who  can  understand  how  his  mind  in- 
fluences his  body,  and  his  body  his  mind  ?     Who  can 


]  70  CHRIST  PRE-EMINENT. 

understand  his  own  heart,  that  mystery  of  iniquity? 
"Who  can  understand  his  natural  life,  and  who  his 
spiritual  life  ?  And  if  we  know  but  little  of  ourselves, 
and  nothing  perfectly,  how  much  less  do  we  know  of 
others  about  us,  how  much  less  of  all  mankind  living 
and  dead,  and  how  much  less  of  angels,  and  of  devils  ! 
But  as  to  Jesus,  He  knows  the  natures  of  all,  and  the 
histories  of  all,  and  the  thoughts  of  all,  and  the  words 
of  all,  equally  well,  and  perfectly  well !  He  hears,  at 
the  same  moment,  the  cry  of  the  new-born  child,  and 
the  sigh  of  the  dying  parent ;  the  song  of  the  drunken 
sinner,  and  the  hymn  of  the  holy  saint;  the  groans  of  the 
damned  in  hell,  and  the  choirs  of  the  saved  in  heaven — 
all  sounds  of  whispers,  and  sighs,  and  songs,  and  sobs, 
and  prayers,  and  3rells,  and  groans,  and  hymns,  and 
oaths,  and  shouts,  and  storms,  and  waves,  and  winds, 
and  thunders,  and  heaven,  and  hell — all  voices  of  all 
creatures,  always  and  for  evermore.  Oh,  His  pre- 
eminence ! 

But  think  again.  If  we  know  so  little  of  the  pre- 
sent, how  much  less  do  we  know  of  the  past,  and  how 
much  less  still  of  the  future?  But  as  to  Jesus,  "a 
thousand  years  "  are  to  Him  "  as  one  day/'  He  sees, 
at  this  moment,  the  world  past,  present,  and  to  come — 
the  creation,  fall,  destruction,  redemption,  judgment, 
and  regeneration  of  man,  and  of  earth.  He  sees,  at  this 
moment,  back  into  the  darkest  recesses  and  furthest 
ages  of  the  past ;  and  on  into  the  darkest  recesses  and 
furthest  ages  of  the  future.  Men  and  angels  see  bub 
the  star-spangled  or  sun-lit  dome  of  time,  bounded  by 


OHBIST  PIIE-EMINENT.  171 

the  dark  horizon  of  eternity  ;  He  see  beyond  all  bounds 
into  the  infinite.  To  Jesus  the  mystery  of  ail  eternity 
is  bright  as  light,  and  clear  as  crystal.  Oh,  what  pre- 
eminence ! 

Now,  turn  once  more  to  the  first  chapter  of  Colos- 
sians,  and  read  the  nineteenth  verse — "For  it  pleased 
the  Father  that  in  him  should  all  FULNESS  dwell." 
Here  are  all  the  treasures  of  grace !  the  "  unsearchable 
riches  of  Christ."  "  In  him  dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of 
the  Godhead  bodily."  0  Lord,  our  thoughts  cannot 
take  in  all  this  ;  we  try,  and  find  it  overwhelming.  So 
all  that  every  sinner  needs  is  treasured  up  in  Christ, 
and  all  that  the  whole  Church  needs  is  treasured  up  in 
Christ,  and  all  that  the  glorified  in  heaven  need  is  trea- 
sured up  in  Christ ;  and  no  demands,  and  no  ages  can 
exhaust  Christ;  and  He  will  evermore  have  "all  fulness" 
dwelling  in  Him  !  Oh,  amazing  truth  !  Here  are  trea- 
sures of  riches  within  treasures  of  riches,  seas  of  grace 
beyond  seas  of  grace,  and  heavens  of  glory  above 
heavens  of  glory  !  0  Jesus  !  thou  hast  "  in  all  things 
the  pre-eminence."  Christian,  be  thou  satisfied  with 
Christ ! 

"  Why  should  the  soul  a  drop  bemoan, 
Who  has  a  fountain  near  ? 
A  fountain  that  will  ever  run 
With  waters  sweet  and  clear." 

Look  up  to  Him,  and  say — 

"  No  good  in  creatures  can  be  found 
But  can  be  found  in  Thee  ! 
I  must  have  all  things,  and  abound, 
While  Christ  is  Chinst  to  me." 


172  CHRIST  PRE-EMINENT. 

IV.  Christ  is  the  Highest. 

As  I  lift  my  eyes  to  heaven,  methinks  I  see  three 
thrones.  The  first  of  a  pure  and  lovely  brightness, 
overshadowed  by  the  wings  of  cherubim,  and  upon  it 
one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man,  clothed  with  a  vesture 
dipped  in  blood,  whose  looks  speak  sweet  compassion : 
it  is  the  throne  of  mercy !  And  behind  it  I  see  the 
second — rising  in  red  outline  through  a  cloud  of  smoke, 
overshadowed  with  blackness,  and  upon  it  one  like  unto 
the  Son  of  Man,  girded  with  justice,  whose  looks  speak 
holy  vengeance :  it  is  the  throne  of  judgment!  And 
above  it  I  see  the  third,  shining  far  up  a  high  mount, 
in  the  midst  of  a  great  and  cloudless  calm,  and  upon 
it  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man,  wearing  a  robe  of 
lustrous  white,  whose  looks  speak  holy  love :  it  is  the 
throne  of  glory !  And  is  this  but  a  dream  \  Oh  no  ! 
At  this  moment  on  the  throne  of  mercy,  "  far  above 
principality,  and  power,  and  might,  and  dominion,  and 
every  name  that  is  named  not  only  in  this  world,  but 
also  in  that  which  is  to  come,"  Jesus  stands  as  Medi- 
ator. There  He  is,  far  above  taunts,  and  threats,  and 
persecutions ;  far  above  sin,  and  sorrow,  and  death ; 
far  above  angels,  and  men,  and  devils  ; — the  highest  in 
the  universe ;  there  He  rests  alone  with  God.  And 
soon  shall  He  rise  from  the  throne  of  mercy,  and  come 
down  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  seated  on  the  throne  of 
judgment,  still  far  above  all  others.  "And  the  dead, 
small  and  great/'  shall  stand  before  Him  ;  and  then 
"  every  eye  shall  see  Him/'  as  the  highest  in  that  great 
and  awful  day.     Then  shall  He  rise  from  the  throne  of 


CHRIST  PRE-EMINENT.  1^3 

judgment,  and  take  the  throne  of  glory  in  the  "  new 
heaven  and  new  earth  ;"  and  as  the  highest  in  the 
world  to  come,  "He  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever" 
— "  that  in  all  things  He  might  have  the  pre-emi- 
nence I" 

V.  Christ  is  the  Loveliest. 

There  is  a  face  in  heaven  which  was  once  "more 
marred  than  any  man's,"  and  which  is  now  more  lovely 
than  any  angel's.  If  all  the  thousands  of  noble-looking 
angels  in  heaven  were  collected  around  Jesus,  their 
beauty  would  seem  blackness  compared  with  His ! 
Surely,  when  we  see  Jesus  we  shall  say,  God  gets  more 
glory  by  Christ's  face  than  by  all  creation  beside ! 

Though  we  soon  grow  tired  of  admiring  the  most 
beautiful  things  on  earth,  saints  and  angels  will  never 
weary  of  admiring  the  face  of  Jesus  in  heaven  !  There 
He  shines  as  "  the  chiefest  among  ten  thousand,  and  the 
altogether  lovely  !" 

"  But  in  His  looks  a  glory  stands, 
The  noblest  labour  of  Thine  hands ; 
God,  in  the  person  of  His  Son, 
Hath  all  His  mightiest  works  outdone  ! " 

Now,  let  us  read  what  Paul  says  about  this  glory  of 
Christ  in  the  first  chapter  of  his  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews. 
Having  said  that  "  by  Him  "  God  "  made  the  worlds  " 
— that  God  "  hath  appointed  Him  heir  of  all  things  " 
— he  adds  that  Christ  is  now  "  upholding  all  things  by 
the  word  of  His  power  ; "  that  He  is  the  "  brightness  " 
of  His  Father's  "  glory,"  and  "  the  express  image  of  His 
person  ! "     As  the  solar  system  is  a  bright  cluster  to 


174  CHRIST  PRE-EMINENT. 

some  far-off  eye,  looking  across  from  the  other  side  of 
the  universe,  and  as  the  "  brightness  °  of  its  "  glory  "  is 
the  sun  in  its  centre ;  so  Jesus  with  all  His  saints  on 
the  "new  earth/'  shall  be  a  bright  cluster  to  some 
angel  looking  down  from  heaven  hereafter ;  and  "  the 
brightness  "  of  its  "glory  "  shall  be  Christ  in  its  centre! 
As  of  all  the  glory  of  God  shining  in  the  great  univers3, 
the  brightest  part  is  heaven  ;  so  of  all  the  glory  of  God 
shining  in  the  great  heaven,  the  brightest  part  is  Jesus ! 
As  the  moon  and  the  planets  shine  only  with  reflected 
light,  and  would  be  black  as  ni^ht  without  the  sun  ;  so 
the  earth  and  heavens  shine  only  with  reflected  light, 
and  would  be  black  as  night  without  Jesus  !  God 
pours  glory  into  Jesus,  and  Jesus  pours  glory  into  the 
universe !  While  there  are  countless  candles  in  the 
camp  of  time,  He  is  its  Pillar  of  Fire  !  and  while  there 
are  lamps  innumerable  in  the  temple  of  eternity,  He  is 
its  Shekinah !  Eat  Christ's  loveliness  is  more  than 
"  the  brightness M  of  His  Father's  "  glory  ; "  for  Paul 
says  to  the  Corinthians,  He  is  "  the  image  of  God  ! " — 
to  the  Colossians,  He  is  "the  image  of  the  invisible 
God  ! " — and  to  the  Hebrews,  He  is  "the  express  image 
of  His  person  !  "  Here  is  beauty  in  its  pre-eminence  ! 
and  loveliness  in  its  divinity !  Oh,  what  a  mystery  of 
glory !  There  are  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  mir- 
rors for  reflecting  the  image  of  the  visible  Jesus ;  but 
there  is  only  one  mirror  for  reflecting  the  "  image  of  the 
invisible  God  !  "  The  face  of  Jesus  is  reflected  ten  thou- 
sand times  ten  thousand  times  in  the  faces  of  ten  thou- 
sand times  ten  thousand  saints  ;  but  the  face  of  God  is 


CHEIST  TRE-EMiNENT.  175 

reflected  only  once,  even  in  the  face  of  Jesus !  In  His 
face,  the  lovely  original  from  which  the  face  of  man 
was  moulded  at  .creation,  and  the  lovely  image  revealed 
to  man  of  the  invisible  Creator,  dwell  both  together  for 
ever !  Though  God  hath  created  many  sons  to  behold 
His  image,  He  hath  only  begotten  one  Son  to  bear 
His  image !  And  as  there  once  shone  in  the  earthly 
tabernacle  of  the  sanctuary,  the  image  of  the  invisible 
heaven,  so  there  now  shines  in  the  heavenly  tabernacle 
of  Christ's  body.  "  the  image  of  the  invisible  God  ! " 
This  is  the  glory  of  which  Isaiah  prophesied — "The 
glory  of  the  Lord  shall  be  revealed,  and  all  flesh  shall 
see  it  together,  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken 
it!"  This  is  the,  glory  of  which  John  said,  "We 
beheld  His  glory,  the  glory  as  of  the  only  begotten  of 
the  Father ! "  This  is  the  glory  which  Jesus  prays 
His  Father  to  unveil  in  heaven  before  all  His  children 
— "  Father,  I  will  that  they  also  whom  Thou  hast  given 
me,  be  with  me  where  I  am,  that  they  may  behold 
my  glory,  which  Thou  hast  given  me ! "  This  is  the 
glory  which  Christians  on  earth  long  to  see — "  having 
a  desire  to  depart  and  to  be  with  Christ,  which  is  far 
better ! "  And  this  is  the  glory  that  every  forgiven 
sinner  shall  yet  behold — "  For  we  shall  see  Him  as  He 
is ! " 

Oh,  how  pre-eminently  lovely  is  Jesus  now !  Once 
He  could  say,  "  Behold  and  see  if  there  be  any  sorrow 
like  unto  my  sorrow  ; "  now  He  can  say,  Behold  and  see 
if  there  be  any  glory  like  unto  my  glory !  Once  when 
men  saw  His  pale  and  blood-stained  face,  they  spat  on 


176  CHRIST  PKE-EMINENT. 

it  in  contempt ;  now  when  they  see  "  His  countenance 
shining  as  the  sun  in  its  strength/'  they  shall  "  fall  at 
His  feet  as  dead  !  "  But  we  "  shall  see  His  face  "  with 
gladness,  "  and  His  name  shall  be  in  our  foreheads ;  * 
"  and  sorrow  and  sighing  shall  flee  away ! " 

"  Oh  may  I  live  to  reach  the  place, 
"Where  Christ  unveils  His  lovely  face ! 
Where  all  His  beauties  you  behold, 
And  sing  His  name  to  harps  of  gold  !  ** 

VI.  Christ  is  the  Last. 

The  first  words  Christ  spoke  to  John  in  Patmos, 
with  His  "  great  voice,  as  of  a  trumpet,"  and  "  as  the 
sound  of  many  waters,"  were  these,  "  I  am  Alpha  and 
Omega — the  First  and  the  Last ;  "  and  when  John 
"  fell  at  His  feet  as  dead,"  He  laid  Kis  hand  upon  him, 
saying,  "  Fear  not ;  I  am  the  first  and  the  last."  Oh  ! 
can  any  one  doubt,  after  this,  the  Deity  of  Christ 
Jesus?  Is  He  not  "the  first?"  "In  the  beginning 
was  the  Word!"  What  Word?  "The  Word"  that 
"was  made  flesh  and  dwelt  among  us,  full  of  cjrace 
and  truth!"  But  where  was  He  in  the  beginning? 
"  The  Word  was  with  God !  "  And  what  was  He  ? 
"The  Woed  was  God!"  What!  is  Jesus  the  Al- 
mighty ?  Read  the  eighth  verse  of  the  first  chapter  of 
Revelation  and  see :  "  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the 
beginning  and  the  ending,  saith  the  Lord,  which  is, 
and  which  was,  and  which  is  to  come,  the  Ahnujldy  !" 
But,  admitting  He  is  "  the  first,"  how  can  He  be  "  the 
last?"  You  might  as  well  say,  "How  can  He  be 
God?"     "How  so,"  you  ask;   "is  God  'the  last?'" 


CHRIST  PRE-EMINENT.  177 

Surely  He  is  ;  have  you  not  read  that  He  "  only  hath 
immortality  !  dwelling  in  the  light  which  no  man  can 
approach  unto  !  whom  no  man  hath  seen,  nor  can  see ! 
to  whom  be  honour  and  power  everlasting  !  "  "  But," 
you  say,  "if  Christ,  being  God,  'only  hath  immortality/ 
how  can  we  have  immortality  too  ?  How  can  He  say 
that  He  'only'  has  it,  when  there  are  thousands  of 
saints  and  angels  who  are  immortal  too  ? "  Well,  if 
you  think  a  moment,  you  will  see  that  saints  and 
angels,  though  immortal,  are  not  immortal  as  Jesus  is ; 
their  immortality  rests  on  His  omnipotence — His  im- 
mortality rests  on  nothing !  Their  life  everlasting 
flows  from  Him — His  life  everlasting  dwells  in  Him- 
self! 

They  have  not  immortality  independent  of  Him,  but 
He  has  immortality  independent  of  them.  If  He  were 
to  forsake  them,  they  would  die ;  but  if  they  were  to 
forsake  Him,  He  would  live  the  same  as  ever.  Christ 
has  their  life  in  His  hands,  but  they  have  not  His  life 
in  their  hands.  They  can  die — He  cannot.  But  will 
they  ever  die  ?  Ah,  no  !  and  why  ?  Because  He  has 
said,  "I  give  unto  them  eternal  life  I"  and,  "Because  I 
live  ye  shall  live  also  !  " 

And  now,  in  conclusion,  "What  think  ye  of  Christ?" 
Oh !  look  up  and  behold  in  Him,  the  first — as  the  first 
born,  the  first  risen,  the  first  glorified;  the  mightiest — 
as  the  Creator,  the  Preserver,  the  Destroyer;  the  richest 
— as  having  the  treasures  of  creation,  the  treasures  of 
wisdom,  the  treasures  of  grace ;  the  highest — as  en- 
throned in  mercy,  enthroned  in  judgment,  enthroned 
M 


178  CHRIST  PRE-EMINENT. 

in  glory;  the  loveliest — as  the  chiefest  among  ten 
thousand,  the  brightness  of  His  glory,  the  express 
image  of  His  person  ;  and  the  last — as  only  having 
im mortality ;  and  say  with  John,  His  now  glorified 
apostle,  "  This  is  the  true  God,  and  eternal  life  /" 

Oh!  what  more  shall  I  add?  I  would  say,  turn 
aside  from  the  discordant  noises  of  the  world's  great 
city,  and  listen  to  the  sweet  hymn  swelling  along  the 
aisles  of  God's  vast  cathedral — the  hymn  that  began 
nigh  six  thousand  years  since,  and  will  last  for  ever 
and  ever.  The  hymn  of  Jesus!  Hark  !  to  that  deep 
echoing  voice — "  His  name  shall  be  called  Wonderful, 
Counsellor,  The  mighty  God,  The  everlasting  Father,  The 
Prince  of  Peace  :  "  how  it  sinks  now  into  the  mournful 
utterance — "  He  is  despised  and  rejected  of  men ;  a 
man  of  sorrows,  and  acquainted  with  grief : "  how  it 
swells  in  tremulous  tenderness — "  He  shall  see  of  the 
travail  of  His  soul,  and  shall  be  satisfied : "  how  it 
rises  in  solemn  grandeur — "  Who  is  this  that  cometh 
from  Edom,  with  dyed  garments  from  Bozrah,  that  is 
glorious  in  His  apparel,  travelling  in  the  greatness  of 
His  strength?"  and  swells  with  other  voices — "He 
shall  have  dominion  from  sea  to  sea,  and  from  the  river 
unto  the  ends  of  the  earth  :  and  He  shall  live,  and  daily 
shall  He  be  praised,  His  name  shall  endure  for  ever ;  all 
nations  shall  call  Him  blessed."  Oh !  how  that  angel's 
voice  peals  in  like  a  trumpet — "  For  unto  you  is  born 
this  day,  in  the  city  of  David,  a  Saviour  which  is  Christ 
the  Lord  :  "  with  the  chorus  from  the  skies — "  Glory 
be  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good-will 


CHRIST  PRE-EMINENT.  179 

towards  men/'  And  as  the  echoes  go  away  into  heaven, 
hear  the  deej;>  tones  beneath — "Behold  the  Lamb  of 
God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world  : "  and  the 
voice  like  distant  thunder  from  above — "This  is  my 
beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased :  "  and  the 
voices  of  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  angels,  and 
thousands  of  thousands — "Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that 
was  slain,  to  receive  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and 
strength,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  blessing  : "  and 
the  heavenly  responses,  loud  "as  the  voice  of  many 
waters,  and  as  the  voice  of  a  great  thunder/'  and  sweet 
"  as  the  voice  of  harpers  harping  with  their  harps  " — 
"Blessing,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  power,  be  unto 
Him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb 
for  ever  and  ever.'' 

0  sweet  hymn  of  Jesus !  let  me  sing  thee  now  and 
for  evermore  !  Oh,  none  but  Christ !  none  but  Christ ! 
To  me  to  live  be  Christ!  and  to  die,  be  to  be  with 
Christ,  which  is  far  better !  Oh  to  behold  His  loveli- 
ness !  Oh  to  behold  His  pre-eminence !  Oh  to  behold 
His  glory ! 

"  Haste,  my  Beloved,  fetch  my  sou] 
Up  to  Thy  blest  abode  ! 
Haste  !  for  my  spirit  longs  to  see 
My  Saviour  and  my  God  !  " 

1  close.  Minister !  preach  Christ  first,  Christ  midst, 
Christ  last — keep  Christ  pre-eminent.  Christian  !  live 
Christ  first,  Christ  midst,  Christ  last — keep  Christ  pre- 
eminent.   And  oh,  unf orgiven  sinner !  believe  in  Christ, 


180  CHKIST  PKE-EMINENT. 

submit  to  Christ,  follow  Christ,  adore  Christ— keep 
Christ  pre-eminent ;  for  oh,  "  this  is  the  true  God,  and 
eternal  life ! " 

Lord  Jesus !  "  as  for  me,  I  will  behold  Thy  face  in 
righteousness ;  /  shall  be  satisfied,  when  I  awake,  with 
Thy  likeness  ! " 


SERMON  IX. 


WELCOME  TO  JESUS. 

John  vi.  37. 
"  Him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out." 

I  have  sometimes  thought  that  as  all  the  strains  of  a 
well- tuned  harp  are  sweet,  while  some  of  its  strains  are 
sweeter  than  others ;  so  while  all  the  words  of  Jesus 
sound  sweetly  in  the  ears  of  penitent  sinners,  some  of 
His  words  surpass  in  sweetness  the  melodies  of  heaven. 
None  ever  spake  so  sweetly  to  the  poor,  the  miserable, 
and  the  dying ;  but  when  He  turns  to  address  heavy- 
laden,  broken-hearted  sinners,  He  seems  to  excel  Him- 
self in  sweetness  of  expression,  and  to  give  utterance  to 
words  of  overflowing  love,  and  immortal  tenderness. 
Such  are  the  words  I  have  chosen  now  to  speak  from 
—  "Him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast 
out." 

When  Jesus  uttered  them,  He  was  standing  near  the 
lake  of  Galilee.  There  it  lay  before  Him  ;  there  was 
the  distant  shore,  where  He  had  fed  five  thousand  with 


182  WELCOME  TO  JESUS. 

five  loaves  and  two  fishes  ;  there  were  the  lonely  moun- 
tains, where  He  had  knelt  at  midnight  in  prayer ;  there 
were  the  calm  waters,  across  which  He  had  walked 
through  the  storm ;  and  around  Him  stood  a  multi- 
tude He  had  taught  and  fed  in  the  wilderness.  As  He 
stood  there,  what  thoughts  were  passing  across  His  mind 
— dark  thoughts  of  present  sorrow,  bright  thoughts  of 
future  blessedness,  and  great  thoughts  of  His  work  and 
of  His  Father !  As  He  stood  in  the  multitude,  their 
hearts — the  world — the  judgment — and  eternity — all 
opened  up  around  Him.  While  below,  in  His  thoughts, 
there  lay  great  darkness  and  tempest,  above  there  lay 
great  light  and  calm.  There,  amid  the  people,  He  stood 
— as  unlike  them  as  the  day  the  night.  They,  all  sel- 
fishness ;  He,  all  self-sacrifice.  And  now  He  speaks  to 
them  with  such  wisdom,  and  authority,  and  love,  that 
He  seems  like  none  but  God.  Hear  Him — "Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Ye  seek  me,  not  because  ye  saw 
the  miracles,  but  because  ye  did  eat  of  the  loaves  and 
were  filled.  Labour  not  for  the  meat  which  perisheth, 
but  for  that  meat  which  endureth  unto  everlasting-  life, 
which  the  Son  of  Man  shall  give  unto  you  :  for  him  hath 
God  the  Father  sealed/'  "  For  the  bread  of  God  is  he 
which  cometh  down  from  heaven,  and  giveth  life  unto 
the  world."  They  listen,  but  understand  not,  and  say 
to  Him — "  Lord,  evermore  give  us  this  bread."  Jesus 
answers — "  I  am  the  bread  of  life  :  he  that  cometh  to 
me  shall  never  hunger ;  and  he  that  believeth  on  me 
shall  never  thirst.  But  I  said  unto  you,  That  ye  also 
have  seen  me,  and  believe  not."     And  then  He  utters 


WELCOME  TO  JESUS.  183 

those  words  which  one  calls,  so  beautifully,  "Christ's 
Repose" — "All  that  the  Father  giveth  me  shall  come 
to  me."  As  if  He  had  said,  "  I  know  that  I  may  work 
the  most  wondrous  miracles  in  your  midst,  and  yet 
some  of  you  will  not  believe  in  me.  I  know  that  I 
may  tell  you  that  I  am  the  bread  which  came  down 
from  heaven,  and  yet  some  of  you  remain  unbelievers. 
But  none  of  these  things  move  me.  I  shall  never  weep 
a  tear,  or  breathe  a  sigh,  or  utter  a  prayer  in  vain — no 
storm  can  reach  my  inward  peace ;  no  hand  can  touch 
my  foreseen  success  ;  all  is  certain,  all  is  safe.  Upon 
my  Father's  bosom  I  lay  my  weary  head ;  He  brings 
me  this  sweet  rest.  '  All  that  the  Father  giveth  me 
shall  come  to  me  ; '  it  is  enough,  I  ask  no  more.  And 
as  for  me,  '  Him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no  wise 
cast  out!"' 

Now,  the  reason  why  I  have  chosen  the  second  part 
of  the  text  to  preach  from  instead  of  the  first,  is  this  : 
I  believe  salvation  to  be  like  a  mighty  mountain,  whose 
top  reaches  heaven,  having  one  side  sloping  off  towards 
God,  and  another  sloping  down  towards  man.  Thus, 
while  one  side  is  hidden  from  us,  the  other  is  plain  to 
us.  We  know  that  decrees  form  part  of  our  salvation, 
but  we  cannot  examine  them — they  lie  at  God's  side  of 
the  matter.  We  hear  Christ  saying — "  All  that  the 
Father  giveth  me  shall  come  to  me  ;"  but  we  know  not 
who  they  are,  why  chosen,  or  how  given.  We  hear  Him 
say,  "  And  him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no  wise 
cast  out ; "  and  we  feel  that  this  lies  at  our  side  of  the 
matter,  and  is   a  most  sweet  promise  held  by  Jesus 


184  WELCOME  TO  JESUS. 

above  our  heads  as  a  lamp  to  light  us  to  Himself,  and 
wrapt  by  Jesus  about  our  souls  as  a  cord  to  draw  us 
to  Himself.  I  myself  feel  my  heart  all  the  more  drawn 
towards  these  words,  because  I  know  I  speak  to  many 
who  have  never  come  to  Jesus,  and  I  would  fain  per- 
suade such  to  come ;  and  to  some  who  desire  to  come 
to  Jesus,  and  I  would  encourage  such  to  come. 

Nov/,  I  wish  to  speak  to  you  about  two  things  :  first, 
about  coming  to  Christ — "  Him  that  cometh  to  me  ;" 
and  then,  about  the  certainty  of  being  received — "  I  will 
in  no  wise  cast  out." 

If  a  compassionate  prince  wrote  over  his  palace  gate 
— "  Him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out," 
would  poor  beggars  reading  it  need  to  have  these  words 
explained  before  they  could  understand  them  ?  And  if 
the  good  man  kept  his  word,  and  received  all  who  asked 
his  help,  would  his  porch  be  ever  empty  night  or  day  ? 
Yet  has  Jesus,  the  Prince  of  Life,  emblazoned  these 
words  in  large,  shining  letters  above  His  gates  of  grace, 
and  ever  kept  His  promise  to  help  all  the  destitute  and 
miserable  who  come  to  Him,  and  thousands  of  sinners 
are  found  to  this  hour  who  will  not  understand  them, 
and  millions  of  sinners  who  care  nothing  about  them. 
A  word  with  you,  my  brother,  or  sister,  to  whom  I  am 
speaking.  What  is  your  state  at  this  moment  before 
God  ?  I  do  not  ask  you  what  the  world  thinks  of  you  ; 
the  world  cannot  see  into  your  heart.  But  I  do  affec- 
tionately ask,  What  is  your  state  at  this  moment  be- 
fore God  ?  Is  your  heart  pure  or  defiled  ?  Is  your 
conscience  peaceful  or  unhappy  ?     Is  your  soul  living 


WELCOME  TO  JESUS.  185 

or  dead  ?  Are  you  not  in  want  before  God  ?  And  if 
you  are  in  want,  what  do  you  think  of  these  words  of 
Jesus,  "  Him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast 
out  V  Are  you  ignorant  of  their  meaning,  or  careless 
of  their  meaning,  or  what  ?  Is  salvation  worth  having  ? 
Is  there  any  other  way  of  salvation  besides  Christ 
Jesus  ?  And  is  there  any  way  to  be  saved  by  Christ 
Jesus  but  by  coming  to  Him  ?  And  why,  then,  do  you 
not  come  ?  I  think  I  hear  some  one  saying — "  I  know 
that  all  who  come  to  Jesus  will  be  saved ;  but,  for  my 
part,  I  cannot  tell  how  to  come,  or  I  would."  Do  you 
mean  that  you  do  not  know  where  to  find  Jesus,  or 
that  you  do  not  know  how  to  speak  to  Him  when  you 
have  found  Him  ?  If  you  mean  the  first,  then  I  have 
to  tell  you  that  Jesus  is  always  close  to  you.  When 
Nathanael  thought  himself  alone  in  prayer  with  God, 
under  the  fig-tree,  Jesus  was  close  to  him,  and  heard 
him;  and  when  you  have  fancied  yourself  unseen  by 
any  eye,  Jesus  has  been  about  you.  He  is  God,  and 
is  everywhere  at  once.  If  you  mean  you  cannot  tell 
how  to  speak  to  Him  when  you  have  found  Him,  then 
learn  from  this  parable  how  to  do  it — "  Two  men  went 
up  into  the  temple  to  pray,  the  one  a  Pharisee,  and  the 
other  a  publican.  The  Pharisee  stood  and  prayed  thus 
with  himself,  God,  I  thank  thee  that  I  am  not  as  other 
men  are,  extortioners,  unjust,  adulterers,  or  even  as  this 
publican.  I  fast  twice  in  the  week,  I  give  tithes  of  all 
that  I  possess.  And  the  publican,  standing  afar  off, 
would  not  lift  up  so  much  as  his  eyes  unto  heaven,  but 
smote  upon  his  breast,  saying,  God  be  merciful  to  me 


18u  WELCOME  TO  JESUS. 

a  sinner."  Now  hear  the  Lord  of  both — "I  tell  you 
this  man  went  down  to  his  house  justified  rather  than 
the  other  ;  for  every  one  that  exalteth  himself  shall  be 
abased,  and  he  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted." 
Go,  then,  and  humble  yourself  before  your  Maker ;  lie 
down  in  the  dust  at  His  feet ;  and  cry,  "  God  be  mer- 
ciful to  me  a  sinner,"  and  never  leave  that  spot  until 
you  can  rise  up  and  go  away  justified.  You  need  not 
try  to  pray  in  fine,  painted  language,  but  try  to  pray  in 
plain,  earnest  words;  for  you  do  not  address  one  who 
judges  by  the  body  of  your  prayers,  but  by  the  spirit 
of  your  prayers — not  by  their  face,  but  by  their  heart. 
Perhaps  you  say  to  me,  "  I  cannot  pray/'  If  you  will 
be  advised  by  me,  go  and  tell  that  to  God,  and  it  will 
be  beginning  the  way  to  immortality.  The  best  prayer 
to  begin  with  is  a  sigh — 

"  Prayer  is  the  breathiDg  of  a  sigh, 
The  falling  of  a  tear, 
The  upward  glancing  of  an  eye, 
When  none  but  God  is  near." 

Can  you  sigh  for  your  sins  ?  Then  sigh  for  them  on 
your  knees  before  God ;  and  as  sure  as  He  is  God,  He 
will  hear  your  sigh,  and  know  your  thoughts,  and  see 
your  wants,  and  pity  your  miseries.  Oh  !  will  you  be 
encouraged  to  come  in  prayer  to  Jesus  ?  There  He  sits 
upon  that  throne  of  mercy,  and  here  you  lie  within 
this  pit  of  misery.  "Come  unto  me,"  saith  Christ. 
"  I  cannot,"  you  say.  "  Call  upon  me,"  saith  Christ.  "  I 
cannot,"  you  say.  But  you  can,  0  unhappy  one,  for  you 
have  a  voice,  and  He  is  not  out  of  hearing,  and  you  are 


WELCOME  TO  JESUS.  187 

not  yet  in  the  pit  of  hell.  Oh  !  cry  aloud  with  an  ex- 
ceeding great  and  bitter  cry,  "  Lord,  save  me,  I  perish." 
For  you  do  perish,  and  He  alone  can  save,  and  He  is 
near,  and  He  is  ready  to  stretch  out  His  hand,  and  draw 
you  up  out  of  the  open  mouth  of  destruction. 

But  lest  you  should  cry  to  Christ  for  mercy  as  if  He 
ought  to  save  you,  and  thus,  in  reality,  sink  deeper  in 
your  sin,  I  would  warn  you  that,  in  coming  to  Christ, 
you  must  come  confessing  you  deserve  only  to  perish. 
And  now  can  it  be  that  any  sinner  is  so  weak  in  sight 
as  not  to  behold  plainly  this  dark  and  terrible  truth  ? 
Does  it  not  stand  before  you,  and  stare  you  in  the  face  ? 
If  you  do  not  see  this,  it  is  because  you  have  shut  your 
eyes  against  it;  but  all  the  while  you  know  in  your 
heart  it  is  there.  Is  it  not  so  ?  Are  you  not  a  criminal 
before  God  ?  Are  you  not  condemned  already  ?  Is  not 
the  wages  of  your  sin  death  ?  And  do  you  not  deserve 
to  be  sent  to  hell  ?  Then  what  mean  you  to  pray  as 
you  do?  Oh,  how  you  insult  God's  justice,  and  try 
God's  long-suffering !  Oh,  stop,  stop  !  for  Satan  has 
led  you,  all  foul  with  your  guilt,  to  presume  with  none 
other  than  the  awful  God,  who  is  a  "  consuming  fire." 
0  sinner,  lest  you  die,  cry  aloud  to  Him — "  0  Lord 
God,  I  deserve  to  be  sent  to  hell;  I  deserve  to  be  sent 
to  hell;  I  deserve  to  be  sent  to  hell;  I  deserve  to  be  sent 
to  hell;  I  DESERVE  TO  BE  SENT  TO  HELL;  but,  0  God,  be 
merciful  to  me  a  sinner  ;  have  mercy  upon  me,  0  God, 
according  to  Thy  loving-kindness,  according  unto  the 
multitude  of  Thy  tender  mercies  ;  blot  out  my  transgres- 
sions— for  I  acknowledge  my  transgressions;   against 


]  88  WELCOME  TO  JESUS. 

Thee,  Thee  only,  have  I  sinned ;  hide  Thy  face  from  my 
sins  ;  wash  me,  and  I  shall  be  whiter  than  snow."  Oh, 
my  fellow-sinner,  these  are  prayers  that  have  gone  up  to 
God  from  countless  polluted  lips  that  are  now  made 
pure,  and  chant  His  praises  in  everlasting  light;  these 
are  prayers  that  have  been  answered  thousands  and 
thousands  of  times  by  the  Lord  of  all,  who  delighteth  in 
mercy ;  and  these  are  prayers  which  none  ever  offered 
sincerely,  and  in  vain.  Come,  then,  with  these  tears  of 
penitence,  and  these  sighs  of  contrition,  and  these  words 
of  entreaty,  and  cast  yourself  on  Christ's  mercy,  and 
cling  to  Christ's  promise,  and  He  will  have  mercy,  and 
will  receive  you,  for  He  is  God,  and,  therefore,  ever 
merciful,  and  ever  faithful  to  His  word. 

But  lest  you  should  be  hindered  from  this  by  the 
labour  of  worldly  employments,  or  the  fascination  of 
worldly  pleasures,  or  the  burden  of  worldly  cares,  I 
would  entreat  you  to  count  the  cost  of  Christ's  service, 
and  Christ's  reward.  If  you  are  to  own  the  pearl  of 
God,  you  must  sell  all  for  it — all  your  labours,  pleasures, 
and  possessions ;  your  will,  your  powers,  and  your  life  ; 
you  must  gather  it  all  together,  carry  it  all  to  Jesus,  lay 
it  all  at  His  feet,  and  leave  it  all  with  Him ;  and  then 
take  up  your  cross,  and  follow  Him.  And  why  should 
you  think  this  hard  ?  Is  not  Christ  worth  this  much, 
and  ten  thousand  times  as  much,  and  unutterably  more 
besides  ?  Why  should  you  think  this  hard  ?  Must  you 
not  give  up  all  this,  and  more  than  this,  in  a  few  months 
or  days  hence,  when  you  come  to  die  ?  Why  should 
you  think  this  hard  \     Are  not  all  these  possessions,  so 


WELCOME  TO  JESUS.  189 

coveted  among  the  children  of  men,  no  more  than  gilded 
toys  and  painted  vanities  ?  Why  should  you  think  this 
hard  ?  Are  not  all  those  things  already  stained  with 
all  manner  of  sins,  corrupting  with  the  curse,  and  fast 
dropping  to  pieces  ?  And  will  you  refuse  to  part  with 
the  poison,  because  it  is  sweet ;  and  will  you  refuse  to. 
rise  and  leave  the  dunghill,  because  your  sloth  loves 
the  bed  it  has  been  accustomed  to  lie  on  ?  Have  you  no 
sense  of  shame,  and  no  desire  for  immortality  ?  Oh  !  I 
am  persuaded  better  things  of  you  ;  your  conscience  is 
not  past  feeling ;  and  you  do  blush  at  the  memory  of 
the  sins  you  have  committed,  and  long  for  purity,  and 
peace,  and  life  eternal.  Come,  then !  you  want  to  get 
rid  of  the  world  and  your  sins.  Well,  cast  all  the  world 
behind  your  back,  and  God  will  cast  all  your  sins  behind 
His  back  ;  and  there  shall  be  nothing  between  you  and 
God  but  the  Mediator,  Jesus,  who  shall  then  reconcile 
you  to  God,  through  Himself,  "  the  Way ;"  by  Himself, 
"  the  Truth  ;"  and  in  Himself,  "  the  Life."  "  Him  that 
cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out." 

Now  what  have  you  to  say  to  these  things  ?  Per- 
haps you  answer,  "  I  know  that  we  ought  to  come  to 
Christ  by  prayer ;  and  that  He  is  always  within  sound 
of  our  voices  ;  and  that  we  ought  to  pray  in  simple, 
sincere,  earnest  language ;  and  to  confess  that  we  de- 
serve to  perish  on  account  of  our  sins  ;  and  to  give  up 
the  world  and  all  things  for  Christ ;  and  to  cast  our- 
selves upon  Christ  for  mercy.  I  believe  all  that ;  but 
I  cannot  come  to  Christ  in  my  present  condition;  no,  I 
cannot."     Well,  may  I  ask  you  why  ?     You  say,  "  The 


190  WELCOME  TO  JESUS. 

way  is  open  for  sinners,  but  I  cannot  take  it."  And 
why  ?  "I  am  not  fit/'  you  say.  And  do  you  think 
that  while-eve  r  you  stay  away  from  Jesus  you  can  be- 
come better?  Oh!  what  a  liar  is  the  heart  in  your 
bosom,  when  it  tells  you  that  you  ought  to  reform  your- 
self before  you  come  to  Christ.  Why,  how  can  you  do 
it  ?  Can  you  break  off  your  sins,  and  live  a  holy  life, 
and  please  God  without  the  ever- blessed  Spirit?  I  know 
you  can  forsake  what  the  world  calls  sin  without  the 
blessed  Spirit's  help,  such  sin  as  lying,  theft,  adultery, 
blasphemy;  but  if  you  do  forsake  these,  are  they  your 
only  sins,  or  even  your  greatest  sins  ?  Does  not  God 
command  you  to  love  Him  with  all  your  heart,  soul, 
mind,  and  strength  ?  and  is  not  this  the  greatest  com- 
mand ?  and  is  it  not  said,  "  If  any  man  love  not  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  let  him  be  Anathema  Maran-atha?" 
and  is  not  this  the  greatest  curse?  and  how  can  you 
fulfil  this  greatest  of  commands,  and  escape  this  great- 
est of  curses  without  the  help  of  God's  mighty  Spirit  ? 
I  know  you  may  shut  yourself  up  in  seclusion,  and  try 
it ;  you  may  easily  get  rid  of  the  world ;  but  tell  me 
how  can  you  get  rid  of  yourself?  You  may  shut  out 
men,  if  you  like ;  but  how  can  you  shut  out  devils  ? 
The  more,  then,  you  try  to  make  yourself  fit  to  come  to 
Jesus,  the  more  you  displease  God  and  unfit  yourself 
to  come  at  all,  because  all  these  efforts  are  so  many 
barriers  built  up  between  you  and  Jesus  to  keep  you 
the  longer  apart.  Have  you  not  heard  that  God  saves 
sinners  only  by  grace ;  and  are  not  all  these  dead 
works  ?     And  do  you  think  He  will  ever  allow  you  to 


WELCOME  TO  JESUS.  191 

patch  your  rags  on  His  righteousness,  or  to  tie  His 
righteousness  to  your  rags  ?  And  now  if  you  have  good 
sense,  you  will  see  that  every  moment  you  delay  this 
coming  you  become  worse  and  worse,  and  that  there- 
fore the  present  hour  is  a  better  one  for  this  purpose 
than  any  you  will  ever  see  on  this  side  of  eternity. 

Now  let  me  ask  you,  have  you  any  other  objection 
to  coming  just  as  you  are  to  Jesus  ?  Do  you  say,  "  I 
feel  ashamed  and  afraid?"  I  do  not  wonder  at  your 
being  ashamed ;  but  why  are  you  afraid  ?  I  do  not 
send  you  to  a  wrathful,  unmerciful  Sovereign,  but  to  a 
kind,  compassionate  Saviour,  who  says  to  you,  "  Come 
unto  me  I" 

Now  suppose  I  was  suffering  from  a  grievous  and  re- 
volting sore,  and  desired  to  shew  it  to  some  able  physi- 
cian, that  he  might  heal  it.  I  might  be  ashamed  and 
afraid  to  uncover  it  before  an  unfeeling  man,  for  fear 
of  his  shewing  his  disgust,  and  putting  me  to  unne- 
cessary pain  in  the  cure;  but  if  I  found  some  kind- 
hearted  man,  who  had  long  attended  the  hospitals,  and 
had  seen,  and  handled,  and  healed  all  the  worst  kinds 
of  disea-es  in  their  most  revolting  forms,  would  I  feel 
ashamed  and  afraid  to  come  to  him  ?  Why,  surely  not. 
And  is  not  Jesus  such  a  Physician  ?  Has  He  not  for 
nigh  six  thousand  years  walked  the  wards  of  this 
great  world-hospital,  and  has  He  not  seen,  and  handled, 
and  healed  the  worst  and  vilest  of  all  diseases  in  all 
ages? 

Ah  !  you  may  blush  in  seeking  Him  ;  but  will  He 
blush  in  receiving  you  ?     You  may  shrink  from  Him ; 


192  WELCOME  TO  JESUS. 

but  will  He  shrink  from  you  ?  What !  Will  He  refuse 
to  touch  your  diseased  spirit,  and  make  you  whole? 
Have  not  His  hands  been  wet  a  thousand  times  with 
tears  when  touching  sightless  eye-balls,  and  with  blood 
when  binding  up  broken  hearts  ?  Oh  yes,  glory  to  Him  ! 
Or,  think  you,  will  He  who  died  to  save  you  from  eter- 
nal torment,  put  you  to  a  single  unnecessary  pain  ? 
God  forbid !  0  sinner,  be  ashamed  of  staying  away 
from  Him,  not  of  coming  to  Him ;  be  afraid  of  damna- 
tion, not  of  salvation.  Come  then,  0  unforgiven  sinner, 
and  say — 

"Just  as  I  am,  without  one  plea, 
But  that  Thou  bidd'st  me  come  to  Thee, 
And  that  Thy  blood  from  sin  sets  free, 
0  Lamb  of  God,  I  come !  " 

II.  And  now,  if  you  wish,  I  will  say  a  few  words  to 
you  about  the  certainty  of  being  received.  I  point  you 
to  Christ's  own  words,  "  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out/'  and 
ask  you,  do  you  not  read  it  there  ?  Look  out  on  yonder 
earth  ;  how  firm  it  seems,  and  how  immoveable  ;  look 
up  to  yonder  heaven,  how  great  it  seems,  and  how  ever- 
lasting. Yet  shall  that  earth  and  that  heaven  pass 
away,  and  these  words  abide  for  evermore  ;  for  oh ! 
they  fell  from  the  lips  of  Eternal  Truth,  and  must  live 
for  ever  and  ever.  Here  I  might  stop  ;  for  what  words 
of  mine  can  add  weight  to  this  great  certainty,  that  no 
opposing  power  can  shake  or  move  from  its  broad 
resting-place  ?  But  for  your  sakes  who  have  a  little 
light,  and  can  only  "  see  men  as  trees  walking,"  I  will 


WELCOME  TO  JESUS.  193 

say  a  few  words  more  to  shew  you  how  certain  Christ 
is  to  receive  every  seeking  sinner. 

Will  you  answer  me  some  solemn  questions?  Why 
did  Christ,  a  king,  in  the  midst  of  heaven's  glory,  be- 
come a  babe  in  the  midst  of  earth's  misery  ?  You  say, 
"To  save  sinners!"  Why  did  He  toil,  and  weep,  and 
preach,  and  pray,  and  sorrow  for  months  and  years 
among  the  worst  and  most  hard-hearted,  with  hardly 
any  reward  but  that  of  contempt,  hatred,  and  persecu- 
tion ?  You  say,  "  To  save  sinners  ! "  AVhy  did  He  bow 
His  head  in  wondrous  submission  when  torn  with  the 
pains  of  deadly  agony  in  Gethsemane  ?  Why  was  He 
silent  when  led  by  blaspheming  murderers  to  the  place 
of  insult,  and  crowned  as  the  king  of  sorrows,  with 
shame,  and  thorns,  and  misery  ?  You  say,  "  It  was  to 
save  sinners!"  Why  did  He  yield  His  body  to  be 
smitten  with  the  hand  and  rod,  and  torn  with  the  lace- 
rating scourge,  and  pierced  with  the  nails  and  spear ; 
oh,  why  ?  You  say,  "  It  was  to  save  sinners  ! "  Oh, 
then,  if  the  immortal  Jesus  has  passed  through  valleys 
of  deepest  humiliation — through  shades  of  darkest 
misery — through  flames  of  hottest  tribulation — and  the 
black  waters  of  death  itself — oh,  if  He  hath  sighed, 
and  wept,  and  prayed,  and  preached,  and  lived,  and 
laboured,  and  suffered,  and  died  to  save  sinners — to 
save  sinners,  oh,  tell  me,  will  He  cast  them  out  when 
they  come  to  Him  ? — when  they  come  and  say, 

"  Thy  blood  can  make  the  vilest  clean, 
Oh,  let  that  blood  avail  for  me  ! " 

will  He  say,  "Depart,  thou  guilty  sinner?" — will  He 
H 


194  WELCOME  TO  JESUS. 

say,  w  I  Trill  have  nothing  to  do  with  thee  ?"  Nay, 
God  forbid ;  He  will  rather  say,  "  Welcome,  0  thou 
poor  penitent !  welcome  to  the  cross,  O  thou  returning 
sinner !  welcome  to  thy  Saviour,  and  to  life  eternal." 
Can  you  doubt  any  longer?  If  you  do,  your  doubt 
makes  out  Christ  to  be  worse  than  you  yourself  are. 
Would  not  you  receive  a  poor  benighted  wanderer,  in 
danger  of  dying  from  cold  and  starvation ;  and  do  you 
think  Jesus  will  refuse  to  admit  you  if  you  seek  Him 
in  wretchedness  and  penitence  ?  But  the  case  is  stronger 
still.  You  would  not  turn  your  weeping  child  away 
from  your  door  to  die  of  hunger ;  and  Will  He  turn  you 
away  from  His  door  to  perish  in  your  sins,  when  you 
repent  and  cry  for  mercy  ?  Yea,  the  case  is  still 
stronger.  If  you  commanded  your  prodigal  child  to 
return,  and  promised  that  all  should  be  forgiven  and 
forgotten,  and  by  means  of  those  commands,  and  invi- 
tations, and  promises,  prevailed  with  the  child,  and 
when  he  believed  you,  and  came  home,  refused  to  admit 
him,  would  you  not  be  both  false  and  cruel  ?  And  has 
not  Jesus,  0  sinner,  commanded  you  to  come,  and  en- 
treated you  to  come,  and  promised  "  in  no  wise  "  to 
reject  you;  and  do  you  think  He  will  prove  so  false  and 
cruel  as  to  break  His  word  and  cast  you  out  ?  Are  all 
your  doubts  now  cleared  away?  If  there  is  a  single 
dark  doubt  still  hanging  over  your  head,  and  casting  its 
shadow  into  your  heart,  take  this  thought,  and  be  en- 
lightened and  relieved.  Now  mark  well:  Christ  never 
yet  cast  out  a  single  sinner  truly  seeking  Him.  Now  I 
will  solemnly  defy  any  one  to  point  out  a  single  such 


WELCOME  TO  JESUS.  1 95 

person  rejected  by  Jesus.  The  young  and  the  old,  the 
poor  and  the  rich,  the  ignorant  and  the  educated,  the 
outwardly  good,  the  confessedly  bad,  scarlet  sinners 
and  black  sinners — all  persons  of  all  BgQt,  degrees,  and 
nations,  who  have  ever  applied  to  Him  during  the  past 
nigh  two  thousand  years,  have  been  alike  received  with 
compassion,  and  treated  with  mercy. 

Behold  Him  seated  yonder  by  the  wayside ;  some 
women,  with  their  children,  try  to  press  through  the 
crowd  and  come  to  Him.  "  What  do  you  want  with 
Him  ?"  say  the  disciples  ;  "  to  bring  your  children  to 
Him?  how  foolish  of  you,  take  them  away!"  Christ 
overhears  it,  and  straightway,  with  look  and  voice,  re- 
bukes them,  and  says  aloud,  "  Suffer  little  children  to 
come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not ;"  and  taking  them 
in  His  arms,  blesses  them — keeping  His  promise,  "  I 
will  in  no  wise  cast  out." 

Again,  as  He  is  walking  along  the  road  between 
Jericho  and  Jerusalem,  with  a  crowd  of  people,  a  blind 
beggar,  having  found  out  who  it  is  that  passes,  cries 
aloud,  "Jesus!  thou  Son  of  David,  have  mercy  on 
me!"  "Hush!"  say  the  people,  "hold  your  peace;" 
but  he  only  crieth  out  the  louder,  "  Jesus  !  thou  Son  of 
David,  have  mercy  on  me !"  Then  Christ  hears,  stops, 
and  commands  him  to  be  brought,  asks  him  what  he 
wants,  and  when  he  answers,  "  Lord !  that  I  may  re- 
ceive my  sight !"  He  touches  at  once  his  sightless  eye- 
balls, and  pours  into  them  light  and  healing — keeping 
His  promise,  "  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out." 

Again,  He  is  sitting  at  the  table  of  Simon  the  Pha* 


196  WELCOME  TO  JESUS. 

risee.  A  poor  woman  who  had  been  a  dreadful  sinner, 
comes  behind  Him  weeping,  and  stooping  down,  with 
the  large  heavy  tears  that  are  falling  faster  than  you  can 
count  from  her  eyes,  washes  His  sacred  feet,  and  then 
wipes  them  with  her  long  locks  of  hair.  Simon's  eye  is 
on  Him  to  see  how  He  will  act :  does  He  spurn  the 
guilty  woman,  and  crush  with  despair  the  heart  already 
broken  with  sorrow?  Ah  no!  His  soul  melts  with 
pity  S  "Woman  I"  saith  Jesus,  "  thy  sins  are  forgiven 
thee  !  go  in  peace  ! " — keeping  His  promise,  "  I  will  in 
no  wise  cast  out." 

Again,  He  is  nailed  to  the  cross  of  shame  and  glory. 
A  wretched  thief,  hanging  over  the  mouth  of  hell,  turns 
to  Him  his  dying  eyes — his  white  furrowed  face  becomes 
stiffened  with  a  look  of  intenseness  of  desire — his  dry 
lips  part  and  quiver.  "Lord!"  he  cries,  "remember 
me  when  Thou  comest  into  Thy  kingdom."  Did  Christ 
answer,  "  I  cannot  hear  you  now — I  am  in  pain  ;  besides 
it  is  too  late — too  late  V  Oh  no  !  but  He  turned  upon 
him  a  look  in  which  love  and  sorrow  shone  together, 
and  said,  "  Verily  !  I  say  unto  thee  !  to-day  shalt  thou 
be  with  me  in  paradise  ! " — keeping  His  promise,  "  I 
will  in  no  wise  cast  out." 

Come  then,  0  child  of  sin,  in  all  thy  weakness  come 
to  Jesus  ;  He  will  take  thee  in  His  arms,  and  bless  thee 
as  He  received  such  of  old !  Come  then,  0  sightless 
sinner,  in  all  thy  blindness  come  to  Jesus ;  He  will  bid 
thee  pray,  and  on  thine  eye-balls  pour  that  light  celestial 
which  is  "marvellous"  in  power  and  glory  everlasting! 
Come  then,  0  outcast  sinner,  in  all  thy  misery  come  to 


WELCOME  TO  JESUS.  ]  97 

Jesus;  He  will  suffer  thee  to  kneel  beside  Him,  and 
wash  His  feet  with  tears  ;  and  will  pardon  all  thy  guilt, 
and  bid  thee  go  in  peace  !  And  come  then,  0  dying  sin- 
ner, in  all  thy  hell-deservings  come  to  Jesus  ;  and  He 
will  hear  thy  groan  of  anguish,  and  answer  thy  prayer 
of  penitence,  and  wash  thy  sins  away,  and  carry  thee  to 
heaven  !  for  oh,  He  hath  spoken  of  old,  and  hath  kept 
in  the  past,  and  will  keep  till  time  shall  be  no  more, 
this  precious,  ever  precious  promise,  "  Him  that  cometh 
to  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out'" 


SEEMON  X. 


IN  CHRIST. 

2  Cor.  xii.  2. 
"  I  knew  a  man  in  Christ." 

I  HAVE  not  chosen  this  text  with  the  intention  of 
preaching  about  Paul's  unspeakable  vision  of  paradise; 
but  I  have  chosen  it  that  I  might  give  you  some  idea 
of  what  I  find  in  the  Bible  about  the  wonderful  union 
that  exists  between  believers  and  the  Lord  Jesus. 

I  am  going  to  speak  to  you  about  the  blessed  position 
of  "  man  in  Christ."  And  oh  that  now  our  clouds  of 
ignorance  and  doubt  may  be  rent  asunder,  and  the  ever- 
glorious  Spirit,  the  light  from  heaven,  come  shining 
down  among  us,  that  I  may  speak  in  the  light,  and  that 
you  may  listen  in  the  light,  for  Christ's  sake ! 

Oh,  the  sinful,  sorrowful  state  of  the  professing 
Church  of  Christ  this  day  !  The  members,  instead  of 
living  beneath  one  roof,  eating  at  one  table,  bearing  one 
name,  and  shewing  one  likeness,  as  those  should  who 
belong  to  "  the  household  of  God,"  do  much  resemble 
an  unhappy  mixture  of  all  the  inmates  of  a  poor-house, 


IN  CHRIST.  190 

a  prison-house,  a  sick-house,  a  counting-house,  a  mad- 
house, and  a  dead-house,  thrown  together  in  the  dark. 
There  is  such  want,  and  violence,  and  disease,  and  sel- 
fishness, and  insanity,  and  insensibility ;  and  all  this 
struggling  in  darkness.  Oh !  it  is  the  strong  sane 
Christian  in  the  midst  of  it  all  who  feels  it  to  be  so 
miserable,  and  who  prays  and  longs  to  be  taken  up  out 
of  the  mouth  of  this  horrible  pit,  and  set  down  in  the 
stillness  of  the  hallowed  calm  above,  never  broken,  save 
by  the  sound  of  peaceful  voices,  and  of  holy  singing 
round  the  throne.  Oh  !  where  upon  the  face  of  the 
earth  can  you  find  peace,  and  union,  and  harmony  ?  I 
do  not  wonder  at  your  not  finding  it  in  the  world.  I 
know  that  the  world  would  soon,  but  for  the  restraining 
power  of  God,  become  a  second  hell.  But  why  don't 
you  find  it  in  the  professing  Church  of  Christ? — a 
Church  which  speaks  of  herself  as  actually  part  of 
"  His  body,  of  His  flesh,  and  of  His  bones."  But  it  is 
a  lie !  she  is  not  His  body.  It  is  true  He  has  many  a 
member  in  her — ay,  hundreds  hidden  in  her,  and  de- 
spised by  her  ;  but  these  are  not  of  her,  but  of  Him — 
while  she  herself  is  a  painted  corpse,  bound  to  the  living 
body,  and  making  it  ofttimes  fester,  by  the  constant 
contact  with  corruption.  The  professing  Church  of 
the  present  day  all  Christ's  body  ?  God  forbid  that  we 
should  be  so  deluded  as  to  think  so.  No,  no !  In  a 
true  body,  though  all  the  members  are  not  like  the 
head  in  shape,  they  are  in  substance  and  sympathy ; 
and  if  while  the  Head  above  is  beautiful,  and  every 
feature  lovely   and  composed,    the   body  beneath   is 


200  IN  CHEIST. 

diseased,  distorted,  and  convulsed,  where  is  the  union 
between  them,  and  where  is  the  harmony  ?  Ah  no ! 
thousands  of  these  members  are  dead  limbs  tied  on ; 
and  as  for  the  rest,  beneath  the  disease  there  lies  the 
life ;  and  it  is  the  life,  not  the  disease,  that  forms 
Christ's  body.  Of  that  body,  then,  I  speak — of  all  on 
earth  who  love  Christ's  loveliness,  and  live  by  Christ's 
immortality — of  these  I  speak,  and  of  their  union  with 
their  Lord. 

I  shall  try  to  shew  you  these  three  things :  First, 
How  this  union  has  been  brought  about ;  next.  What 
this  union  really  is ;  and  then,  before  closing,  I  shall 
say  a  few  words  to  you  about  some  of  the  benefits  flow- 
ing from  this  union. 

I.  I  shall  try  to  shew  you  how  this  union  has  been 
brought  about. 

And  now  let  us  fix  our  attention  upon  the  subject. 
Union  with  Jesus  !  union  with  Jesus !  how  sweet  it 
sounds  to  the  ear  of  the  believer.  Jesus  to  him  is  all. 
He  loves  His  words.  He  loves  His  foot-prints.  He 
loves  everything  about  Him.  He  loves  the  hope  of 
being  with  Him.  But  oh !  especially  he  loves  the 
thought  of  being  bound  to  Him  in  bonds  of  intimate, 
indissoluble  union.  Come,  0  such  a  one,  come  and 
meditate  on  thy  union  with  thy  Lord.  And  now, 
what  seest  thou  ?  Dost  thou  not  see  thyself  lifted  up 
from  thy  former  degradation,  and  carried  through  the 
gate  where  thou  didst  lie  a  beggar,  into  the  palace  of 
thy  King?  Dost  thou  not  find  thyself  washed  in  a 
wondrous  bath  of  blood,  and  clothed  in  white,  and 


IN  CHRIST.  201 

standing  in  the  temple  by  the  altar  of  holy  consecra- 
tion, and  married  to  the  King's  Son  ?  And  canst  thou 
not  hear  already  the  sound  of  great  rejoicings  ?  Why, 
what  mean  these  things  ?  Is  it  really  so  ?  Oh,  joy  ! 
joy  !  thou  art  married  to  thy  Lord  !  And  how  is  this? 
Who  hath  wrought  it  all  ?  Canst  thou  say  that  it  was 
thy  choice  ?  Canst  thou  even  say  that  it  was  thy  de- 
sire? Didst  thou  plan  it  thyself?  What,  no?  Then 
who  hath  done  it  ?  Oh  !  say,  'twas  God  !  The  heart 
that  wished  it  is  infinite  ;  the  mind  that  planned  it  is 
unsearchable ;  the  hand  that  wrought  it  is  invisible. 
He  who  cleft  a  path  for  the  rivers  to  run  into  the  sea, 
prepared  thy  way,  and  led  thee  into  Jesus ;  He  who 
harmonised  the  innumerable  harps  of  heaven,  attuned 
thy  heart  to  the  heart  of  Jesus  ;  and  He  who  bindeth 
together  the  body  and  the  spirit,  hath  bound  thee  in  the 
body  of  Jesus  to  thy  Lord's  Spirit ;  for  oh,  "  of  Him, 
and  through  Him,  and  to  Him,  are  all  things ;  to  whom 
be  glory  for  ever!" 

0  Christian  !  you  and  I  had  nothing  to  do  with  the 
work  of  our  choice  for  this  most  unutterable  glory. 
Were  we  born  when  the  mountains  were  brought  forth  ? 
Did  we  listen  of  old  to  the  first  voice  of  the  new-made 
sea  ?  Oh  no  !  Yet  it  was  before  the  foundations  of 
the  solid  earth  were  laid,  or  ever  God  had  formed  the 
earth  or  the  sea,  that  He  chose  us  in  everlasting  pur- 
pose. Does  not  the  Spirit  say  by  the  Word  that  we 
were  "  chosen  in  Him  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world?'  0  blessed  eye  of  deep  foreknowledge,  that 
saw  us  from  afar  off  in  our  wretchedness  !     0  blessed 


202  IN  CHRIST. 

heart  of  great  compassion,  that  felt,  and  pitied  ns  in 
our  misery !  0  blessed  hand  of  strong  decree,  that 
wrote  these  earthly  names  in  those  bright  books  of  im- 
mortality !  Oh,  how  these  thoughts  lift  up  my  soul ! 
'Tis  He — 'tis  the  great  God  Jehovah,  who  hath  done 
this — who  hath  chosen  us — chosen  us  in  Jesus — chosen 
us  in  Jesus  before  the  foundation  of  the  world.  But 
this  is  not  all.  All !  Nay,  but  only  the  dim  back- 
ground behind  the  great  mountains  of  His  grace,  and 
the  spreading  prospect  of  His  everlasting  love.  Oh  no  ! 
This  is  but  the  deep  foundation  of  the  temple ;  and  He 
who  laid  the  lowest  stones,  hath  laid  the  walls  and 
pillars,  and  shall  lay  the  roof,  and  topmost  stone,  and 
crown  of  all. 

Here  we  have  God  choosing  us  out  of  the  world  that 
He  may  unite  us  to  Him  who  made  the  world :  but 
ah  !  what  has  He  chosen  ?  Are  we  not  a  company  of 
guilty,  wretched  creatures?  and  how  can  He  marry 
such  a  bride  to  His  noble  Son  ?  What !  degrade  be- 
fore all  heaven  the  Lord  of  glory !  Oh  no,  it  cannot 
be ;  sooner  far  let  us  die  as  we  deserve,  and  be  buried 
in  the  grave  of  "shame  and  everlasting  contempt.'" 
But  no ;  so  strongly  is  the  heart  of  God  set  upon  it, 
that  He  devises  the  plan  of  redemption — a  plan  so 
glorious  in  its  design,  that  in  it  love  and  wisdom  shall 
both  struggle  for  pre-eminence  for  ever !  By  giving 
His  chief  treasure,  He  gains  His  chief  desire.  He 
pours  out  the  blood  of  a  holy  heart  upon  the  earth, 
makes  a  just  atonement  for  the  unjust,  and  casts  our 
sins  into  the  depths  of  the  sea  for  ever ! 


IN  CHRIST.  203 

Here,  then,  is  the  second  stair  in  the  great  flight  of 
steps  by  which  Cod  raises  us  to  the  heavenly  marriage- 
place  of  Christ  above. 

But  lo  !  there  we  stand  for  the  present — we  can 
climb  no  further  ;  for  God  may  choose  the  bride,  and 
then  purchase  her  from  destruction  with  the  sovereign 
price  of  priceless  blood ;  but  she  cares  nothing  about 
the  marriage — sees  no  beauty  in  the  Bridegroom — no 
honour  in  the  offer — no  love  in  the  choice — and  no  joy 
in  the  union,  and  straightway  turns  her  back  upon  the 
whole.  Now  what  doth  follow  ?  Is  she  cast  into  hell  ? 
Ah  no  !  His  pity  weeps  over  her,  His  long-suffering 
spares  her,  and  His  love  conquers  her.  He  sends  her 
no  more  messages  by  the  lips  of  creatures ;  but  speaks 
to  her  heart  by  the  "still  small  voice"  of  His  own 
Spirit — tells  her  what  she  is,  and  what  Jesus  is,  and 
draws  in  the  cords  of  love  closer  and  closer,  until  her 
aversion  is  overcome,  her  resistance  ceases,  and  her  will- 
ing soul  yields,  and  sinks  into  the  embrace  of  Christ. 

And  now  surely  the  work  is  done?  Nothing  now 
remains  but  to  dress  her  in  marriage  array,  and  place 
her  beside  Jesus  on  the  throne.  Ah  no !  the  way  is 
still  blocked  up.  Christ  may  love  and  embrace  us  in 
our  wretchedness,  but  will  He  marry  us  in  that  condi- 
tion ?  It  cannot  be  that  Christ  will  take  home  to  His 
palace  one  who  is  all  sin  and  ignorance  within,  and  all 
disease  and  rags  without.  Have  we,  then,  to  give  up 
the  hope  that  has  now  become  dear  to  us — the  hope  of 
an  everlasting  union  with  that  Holy  One,  who  has 
wooed  and  won  our  best  affections  ? 


204  IN  CHRIST. 

Oh,  anything  sooner  than  that !  But  what  can  we 
do  ?  We  cannot  change  ourselves  ;  we  cannot  remove 
either  the  spiritual  darkness  of  mind,  or  the  spiritual 
disease  of  soul :  both  lie  within,  and  are  beyond  our 
reach.  Well,  then,  let  us  die  ;  we  have  seen  a  little 
light — just  enough  to  enable  us  to  see  and  hate  our- 
selves, and  to  see  and  love  our  Lord ;  just  enough  to 
make  us  long  for  more.  Now,  sooner  than  send  us 
back  to  Satan,  let  us  die !  But  ah !  to  die  would  be  to 
go  to  Satan.  0  wretched  creatures  that  we  are  !  who 
shall  separate  us,  then,  from  these  bodies  of  death? 
Is  there  no  hope  ?  What  saith  the  Bible  ?  Behold  the 
lio-ht  now  shining  from  these  words — "  There  is  there- 
fore  now  no  condemnation  to  them  which  are  in  Christ 
Jesus;"  and  from  these — "  Sin  shall  not  have  dominion 
over  you;"  and  from  these — "The  creature  itself  also 
shall  be  delivered  from  the  bondage  of  corruption  into 
the  glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of  God."  Oh, 
then,  "  thanks  be  to  God,  which  giveth  us  the  victory 
through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ! "  N 

Oh,  the  unspeakable  hope !  What !  will  that  God 
who  chose  me  that  He  might  marry  me  to  Christ,  and 
redeemed  me  that  He  might  marry  me  to  Christ,  and 
called  me  that  He  might  marry  me  to  Christ — will  He 
now  purify  me,  and  preserve  me,  and  perfect  me,  and 
raise  me  out  of  this  body,  and  this  earth,  and  this  life, 
into  another  body,  and  another  place,  and  another  life? 
and  then  put  my  pure,  fresh-clad  spirit,  with  the  whole 
body  of  the  glorified  Church,  into  Christ's  outstretched 
arms,  to  be  embraced   as  His  bride,  in  the  midst  of 


IN  CHRIST.  205 

assembled  angels,  and  crowned  as  His  bride  for  ever 
and  ever?  Oh!  glory,  glory  evermore  to  God!  Yes; 
it  is  He  who  has  been  the  author  of  all  my  faith,  and 
it  is  He  who  shall  be  the  finisher  of  all  my  hope. 
Never  would  He  call,  and  pardon,  and  cheer  a  poor 
sinner  with  such  golden  hopes,  and  then  turn  away, 
and  forsake,  and  forget  him  after  all.  Oh  no !  for 
"  the  gifts  and  calling  of  God  are  without  repentance," 
and  with  Him  there  is  "  no  variableness  neither  shadow 
of  turning  ; "  and  "  God  is  not  man,  that  He  should  lie ; 
neither  the  son  of  man  that  He  should  repent.  Hath 
He  said,  and  shall  He  not  do  it  ?  or  hath  He  spoken, 
and  shall  He  not  make  it  good  V  And  He  has  de- 
clared— "  I  am  the  Lord  ;  I  change  not ;  therefore  ye 
sons  of  Jacob  are  not  consumed."  Oh  yes !  the  hope 
is  brightening — the  marriage  is  nearing — the  glory  is 
coming !  Never  yet  did  God  leave  a  work  He  com- 
menced unfinished ;  and  this  is  His  work — His  work 
from  beginning  to  end,  and  He  will  finish  it.  He  com- 
menced creation  ages  ago,  and  did  He  rest  before  He 
finished  that  ?  No ;  but  "  on  the  seventh  day  God 
ended  His  work  which  He  had  made ;  and  He  rested  on 
the  seventh  day  from  all  His  work  which  He  had  made." 
"  Thus  the  heavens  and  the  earth  were  finished,  and 
all  the  host  of  them."  Christ  commenced  the  work 
of  redemption  eighteen  hundred  years  ago,  and  did 
He  rest  before  He  finished  it  ?  No  !  Until  it  was 
done,  His  cry  was — "  How  am  I  straitened  till  it  be 
accomplished ! "  And  He  rested  not,  until  He  was 
crucified  upon  Calvary,  and  could  cry  with  His  last 


20G  nr  ctieist. 

gasp — "It  is  finished!"  and  then  He  "  entered  into 
His  glory,"  and  "sat  down  on  the  right  hand  of  the 
Majesty  on  high."  And  is  not  God  resolved  to  finish 
His  work  too?  and  is  not  God  able  to  finish  it?  Hath 
Kc  not  "counted  the  cost"  before  all?  Hath  He  not 
paid  down  the  price  of  all  ?  And  will  He  not  finish 
the  work  after  all  ?  What !  lay  the  foundation,  and 
build  the  walls,  and  leave  it  roofless  ?  Oh  no  !  He  who 
is  perfect  in  Himself  can  never  be  imperfect  in  His 
works.  The  promised  perfection  is  approaching  every 
moment.  Here  is  His  word  for  it — "  As  we  have  borne 
the  image  of  the  earthy,  we  shall  also  bear  the  image  of 
the  heavenly  ;"  and  "  the  coming  of  the  Lord  draweth 
nigh;"  "and  so  shall  we  ever  be  with  the  Lord/' 
Come,  then,  0  Lord  God !  and  finish  Thy  most  glori- 
ous work.  At  Thy  right  hand  there  standeih  holy 
humanity,  praying  for  its  completion.  Upon  Thy 
bosom  there  lieth  holy  humanity,  waiting  for  its  com- 
pletion. Bound  to  Thy  heart  there  liveth  holy 
humanity,  the  pledge  of  its  completion.  0  God !  how 
long  1  Come,  faithful  Lord  S  come,  triumphant  Lord  ! 
come,  everlasting  Lord  ! — come,  and  roll  up  the  burn- 
ing scroll  above  us,  and  consume  the  corrupting  mass 
beneath  us,  and  from  darkness  and  flames  of  night  and 
anguish  upraise  us,  and  in  light  and  peace  to  life  and 
love  unite  us  ;  yea,  marry  us  !  oh,  marry  us  !  yea,  marry 
us  to  Jesus  Christ — to  Jesus  Christ  for  ever  and  ever! 

II.  And  now  let  us  pass  on  to  the  second  part  of  the 
subject — the  Nature  of  our  Union  to  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.     And  in  speaking  about  this,  there  are  just  two 


IN  CHRIST.  207 

things  I  wish  to  point  out.     First,  that  our  union  is 
intimate  ;  and  next,  that  it  is  indissoluble. 

Now  about  the  first.  If  I  am  a  Christian,  Christ  and 
I  are  no  longer  two,  but  one.  "  But  how  is  this?"  says 
the  world  ;  "  is  not  Christ  in  heaven,  and  are  not  you 
on  earth  V  What  has  that  to  do  with  the  matter  ?  You 
interpret  me  carnally.  I  said  not  that  my  clay  tabernacle 
was  one  with  Christ's  glorious  temple  ;  but  that  I — the 
u  I  "  that  thinks,  and  loves,  and  hoj^es — the  "  I  "  that 
shall  soon  be  freed  from  its  burdensome  body — the  im- 
mortal "  I "  within — is  now  bound  up  in  the  spiritual 
body  of  Jesus,  and  thus  united  to  Him  so  intimately, 
that  we  are  no  more  two,  but  one.  The  very  best  illus- 
trations of  this  precious  truth  are  God's  own.  Let  us 
look  at  some  of  them.  Turn  first  to  the  fifteenth  chap- 
ter of  John,  and  read  those  eight  verses  beginning  with 
"I  am  the  true  vine,  and  my  Father  is  the  husbandman," 
and  you  will  find  a  lovely  illustration  of  the  intimacy  of 
the  union  between  believers  and  Jesus.  Does  not 
Christ  say  in  the  fifth  verse,  "  I  am  the  vine,  ye  are  the 
branches?"  and  what  intimacy  can  be  closer  than  this, 
and  at  the  same  time  allow  of  the  superiority  of  one  over 
the  other  ?  Do  you  understand  me  ?  Just  look,  at  the 
vine  and  its  branch.  Is  not  the  branch  part  of  the  vine? 
So  the  Christian  is  part  of  Christ.  At  the  same  time 
is  not  the  vine  superior  to  the  branch  ?  So  Christ  is 
superior  to  the  Christian.  And  these  two  things — the 
intimacy  and  superiority — are  the  very  life  of  the  Chris- 
tian. I  could  not  live  one  half  hour  by  Christ,  unless 
Christ  was  as  superior  to  me,  and  as  intimately  united 


208  IN  CHRIST. 

to  me,  as  He  is  at  this  moment ;  so  superior  to  me,  that 
I  am  nothing  and  He  is  "  all  in  ail ;"  and  so  intimate 
with  me,  that  it  is  only  because  He  lives  that  I  live 
also.  Behold  the  intimacy  in  several  other  ways.  De- 
stroy the  vine,  and  the  branch  withers ;  so  destroy  Jesus, 
and  I  die.  Separate  the  branch  from  the  vine,  and  it 
withers  ;  so  separate  me  from  Christ,  and  I  die.  Stop 
the  current  of  sap  flowing  from  the  vine  to  the  branch, 
and  it  withers ;  so  stop  the  current  of  Spirit  flowing 
from  Christ  to  me,  and  I  die.  Check  the  sap  for  a  little 
in  flowing  from  the  vine  to  the  branch,  and  its  fruits 
wither  ;  so  check  the  Spirit  for  a  little  in  flowing  from 
Christ  to  me,  and  my  graces  die.  Let  the  sap  still  flow 
from  the  vine  to  the  branch,  but  in  much  diminished 
quantities,  and  though  its  life  will  continue,  its  growth 
will  cease  ;  so  let  the  Spirit  still  flow  from  Christ  to  me, 
but  in  much  diminished  quantities,  and  though  my  life 
will  continue,  my  growth  will  cease.  As  to  the  vine 
and  the  branch,  the  one  sprung  from  the  other — the 
one  is  of  the  same  nature  as  the  other — the  one  has  the 
same  life  as  the  other ;  and  so,  if  we  are  Christians,  we 
sprung  from  Christ,  and  share  with  Him  His  spiritual 
nature  and  indwelling  life.  Adam  was  the  root  of  the 
carnal  race,  so  Christ  has  become  the  root  of  the  spi- 
ritual race  ;  and  we  are  one  with  Him  far  more  inti- 
mately than  most  conceive.  Why,  He  has  a  human 
body  like  ours,  and  a  human  soul  like  ours,  and  has 
experienced  temptation  such  as  ours,  and  pain  such  as 
ours,  and  death  such  as  ours  ;  and  now  that  He  lives 
again,  He  sees  "  His  seed ; "  we  His  children  are  as  the 


m  chkist.  209 

sand  of  the  sea  for  multitude ;  and  in  the  great  day 
when  we  are  all  gathered  together,  He  will  stand  before 
God  clothed  with  our  body,  while  we  shall  stand  before 
God  filled  with  His  Spirit ;  He  with  us  forming  one 
body,  and  reflecting  one  image,  even  the  image  of 
God. 

The  intimacy  of  the  union  between  believers  and 
Jesus  is  boldly  and  beautifully  illustrated  in  God's  Word, 
by  the  union  of  husband  and  wife.  Turn  to  the  fifth 
of  Ephesians,  and  begin  at  the  twenty-second  verse.  In 
exhorting  wives  and  husbands,  Paul  says — "Wives,  sub- 
mit yourselves  unto  your  own  husbands,  as  unto  the 
Lord  ;  for  the  husband  is  the  head  of  the  wife,  even  as 
Christ  is  the  head  of  the  church  ;  and  he  is  the  saviour 
of  the  body.  Therefore,  as  the  church  is  subject  unto 
Christ,  so  let  the  wives  be  to  their  own  husbands  in  every 
thing.  Husbands,  love  your  wives,  even  as  Christ  also 
loved  the  church,  and  gave  himself  for  it ;  that  he  might 
sanctify  it  and  cleanse  it  with  the  washing  of  water  by 
the  word  ;  that  he  might  present  it  to  himself  a  glorious 
church,  not  having  spot,  or  wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing ; 
but  that  it  should  be  holy,  and  without  blemish."  Here 
we  have  Christ  represented  as  "the  head  of  the  church;" 
as  one  who  has  "loved  the  church  ;"  as  one  who  "gave 
Himself "  for  the  church ;  as  sanctifying  the  church ; 
and  as  presenting  the  church  "  to  Himself."  Then  Paul 
says — "  So  ou^ht  men  to  love  their  wives  as  their  own 
bodies."  Why  ?  Because  "  they  two  shall  be  one  flesh  " 
(ver.  31).  We  may  add,  "So  ought  Jesus  to  love  His 
church  as  His  own  body/'     Why  ?    Because  "  we  are 

o 


210  IN  CHRIST. 

members  of  His  body,  of  His  flesh,  and  of  His  bcnes  !" 
Paul  then  says,  u  He  that  loveth  his  wife  loveth  himself." 
How  so  ?  Because  they  are  "one  flesh."  We  may  then 
say,  "  Christ  in  loving  His  church  loveth  Himself ;"  for 
we  are  "  members  of  His  body  !"  Paul  adds,  "  No  man 
ever  yet  hated  his  own  flesh ;  but  nourisheth  and  cherish- 
eth  it,  even  as  the  Lord  the  church."  We  may  then  say, 
"  Christ  never  yet  hated  His  own  flesh  ;  but  nourisheth 
and  cherisheth  it,  even  the  church  ;"  "for  wreare  mem- 
bers of  His  body,  of  His  flesh,  and  of  His  bones  !"  Oh ! 
how  could  any  union  be  more  intimate  than  this  ?  Then 
Paul  says,  "  For  this  cause  shall  a  man  leave  his  father 
and  mother,  and  shall  be  joined  unto  his  wife,  and  they 
two  shall  be  one  flesh."  And  can  we  not  say,  "  For 
this  cause  did  Jesus  leave  His  Father  in  heaven,  and 
become  joined  unto  His  church,  and  they  two  became 
one  flesh!"  "This  is  a  great  mystery,"  says  Paul. 
What  is  %  The  natural  union,  or  the  spiritual  ?  Surely 
he  means  the  spiritual — our  union  to  Jesus  ;  for  he 
says  immediately  after,  "  but  I  speak  concerning  Christ 
and  the  church/'  "  Nevertheless,"  he  adds,  "  let  every 
one  of  you  in  particular  so  love  his  wife  even  as  him- 
self," like  Jesus  ;  "  and  the  wife  see  that  she  reverence 
her  husband  ;"  so  let  us  see  that  we  reverence  Christ. 
Oh,  how  lovely  is  this  union  with  the  dear  Redeemer  ! 
Surely  the  natural  union  of  man  and  wife  was  given  to 
si; ado w  it  forth  to  us  ;  the  first,  being  the  sinless  union 
of  the  temporal  Eden ;  the  second,  the  sinless  union  of 
the  eternal  Eden.  Thus  like  Eve  we  were  taken  by  God 
out  of  our  Adam,  and  then  given  by  God  to  our  Adam ; 


IN  CHEIST.  2  1 1 

and  so  we  bear  His  name,  and  live  on  His  resources, 
and  learn  from  His  lips,  and  admire  His  perfections,  and 
enjoy  His  presence,  and  own  His  affections,  and  share 
His  glory.  Oh,  what  blessedness  !  Surely  it  is  well 
worth  being  married  to  Jesus  !  "  Come,  Lord  Jesus, 
come  quickly  !" 

Now  take  one  more  illustration  to  set  forth  the  inti- 
macy of  this  union.  You  will  find  it  in  the  twelfth 
chapter  of  1st  Corinthians.  Look  at  the  twelfth  verse, 
l<  For  as  the  body  is  one,  and  hath  many  members,  and 
all  the  members  of  that  one  body,  being  many,  are  one 
body  ;  so  also  is  Christ.  For  by  one  Spirit  are  we  all 
baptized  into  one  body."  "  Nowr  hath  God  set  the  mem- 
bers every  one  of  them  in  the  body  as  it  hath  pleased 
him/'  "  Now  ye  are  the  body  of  Christ/'  From  these 
passages,  and  numbers  like  them  in  the  New  Testament, 
wre  learn  that  our  union  to  Jesus  is  really  as  close  as  the 
union  of  the  head  and  the  members  in  our  body.  How 
intimate  my  head  and  heart  are  !  My  head  sends  nerves 
to  my  heart,  and  my  heart  sends  blood  to  my  head. 
Trouble  my  head,  and  my  heart  palpitates  violently; 
stop  my  heart,  and  my  head  droops  in  a  dead  faint.  So 
with  my  soul  and  Jesus  ;  if  I  am  His,  He  lives  for  me, 
and  I  live  for  Him.  Torture  Him,  and  you  torture  me  ; 
torture  me,  and  you  torture  Him.  Only  touch  a  saint, 
and  you  touch  "  the  apple  of  His  eye/'  Thus,  as  we 
are  one  body,  we  have  one  Spirit ;  He,  as  the  head, 
being  the  storehouse  of  that  Spirit,  and  having  it  "  with- 
out measure  ;"  and  we,  as  the  members,  being  partakers 
of  that  Spirit,  each  in  our  measure.    As  the  head  thinks 


212  IN  CHRIST. 

for  the  rest  of  the  body,  He  thinks  for  us  ;  as  the  head 
governs  the  rest  of  the  body,  He  governs  us  ;  and  as  the 
head  sympathises  with  the  rest  of  the  body,  He  sympa- 
thises with  us.  Oh,  thus  may  it  ever  be  with  my  soul 
and  Jesus  !  Let  one  robe  cover  us,  and  one  Spirit  fill  us, 
and  one  throne  support  us,  and  one  inheritance  enrich 
us,  and  one  God  inhabit  us  for  ever  and  ever  ! 

Before  we  leave  this  part  of  the  subject,  let  me  just 
say  that  this  union  is  an  indissoluble  one.  You  may 
learn  this  from  many  a  page  in  the  Bible.  Read  the 
eighth  of  Romans,  and  other  chapters  that  dwell  on  the 
same  truth,  and  you  will  find,  first,  no  condemnation  to 
those  in  Christ  Jesus ;  and  last,  no  separation  to  such 
from  Christ  Jesus.  You  may  break  off  the  branches  from 
the  natural  vine,  but  not  from  the  spiritual.  "  Ah  !  but," 
says  one,  "  does  not  Christ  speak  of  God's  taking  awray 
the  branches  that  bear  no  fruit  ?"  Yes,  He  does  ;  but 
docs  not  Christ  speak  of  all  who  are  in  Him  bringing 
forth  fruit  ?  If  a  man  is  truly  "  in  Christ,"  he  brings 
forth  fruit,  and  if  he  brings  forth  fruit,  God  will  not 
take  him  away ;  even  if  he  brings  forth  ever  so  little 
fruit,  God  will  not  take  him  away,  but  will  rather 
"purge"  him,  that  he  may  bring  forth  more  fruit. 
What  I  shall  God  change  ?  Oh  no,  no  S  "I  am  the 
Lord,  I  change  not ;  therefore  ye  sons  of  Jacob  are  not 
consumed."  "  But,"  you  say,  "  does  God  never  cast 
away  those  whom  He  has  made  His  children?"  No, 
dear  brethren  ;  why  should  He,  when  He  has  the  power 
to  save  them  ;  and  how  could  He,  when  He  has  promised 
to  save  them  ?     Did  you  never  think  over  those  precious 


IN  CHEIST.  2J3 

words  in  the  seventh  of  Hebrews — "  Wherefore  he  is 
able  also  to  save  them  to  the  uttermost  that  come  unto 
God  by  him,  seeing  he  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession 
for  them?"  Now  what  does  Paul  mean  by  saying  He 
is  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost  ?  Does  he  mean  that 
Christ  can  save  any  sinner,  no  matter  how  bad,  who 
comes  to  God  by  Him  ?  Of  course  we  believe  this  to  be 
true  ;  but  Paul  means  something  else  here.  The  word 
lie  uses  means  evermore  ;  and  he  speaks  of  our  everlast- 
ing salvation,  through  Christ  ever  living  "  to  make  in- 
tercession" for  us.  He  is  able,  says  Paul,  to  save  to  the 
uttermost  moment  of  their  lives,  and  to  the  end  of  time, 
and  evermore,  those  who  come  unto  God  by  Him,  "  see- 
ing He  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  them  \" 

0  brethren,  "who  shall  separate  us  from  the  love  of 
Christ?"  Who  shall  mutilate  Christ's  body,  and  sever 
us  from  the  heart  within?  Was  it  not  past  the  power 
of  men  and  devils  to  break  a  single  bone  of  Christ's 
natural  body?  and  is  it  not  past  the  power  of  men  and 
devils  to  break  a  single  bone  of  Christ's  spiritual  body? 
Did  not  the  God  who  of  old  promised  that  not  a  bone 
of  Him  should  be  broken,  keep  His  word,  and  over- 
shadow His  dying  body  on  the  tree  with  the  wings  of 
protection?  and  will  not  that  God  who  has  also  pro- 
mised that  not  even  the  least  of  His  spiritual  members 
shall  perish,  overshadow  His  spiritual  body  while-ever 
it  remains  crucified  on  earth,  with  the  wings  of  a  pro- 
tecting power  that  shall  preserve  it  unbroken  through 
its  pains,  and  death,  and  burial,  and  raise  it,  "perfect 
through   sufferings,"  to    eternal   glory?      If    Christ's 


214  IN  CHRIST. 

spiritual  boly  is  ever  broken,  the  Scriptures  will  be 
broken ;  but  as  "  the  Scriptures  cannot  be  broken/' 
neither  can  it.  Oh!  is  not  this  a  glorious  union?  Is 
it  not  well  worth  the  name  of  union  when  it  is  indis- 
soluble? "I  have  betrothed  thee  unto  me  for  ever," 
saith  the  Lord ;  and  who  shall  prevent  the  marriage, 
and  who  shall  ever  cause  a  divorce  ?  0  brethren  !  we 
judge  of  heavenly  things  too  much  by  earthly  things, 
and  of  the  eternal  too  much  by  the  temporal.  'Tis  true 
that  earthly  promises,  and  vows,  and  marriages  are 
easily  broken  and  forgotten  ;  but  not  so  with  heavenly. 
How  should  not  man  be  mutable,  when  he  is  walking 
in  the  midst  of  a  many- coloured  show,  having  no 
thorough  knowledge  of  anything,  enticed  by  the  secret 
whispers  of  lying  spirits,  intoxicated  with  a  mixture  of 
internal  passions,  and  being  carried  down  the  moving 
stream  of  life,  through  a  thousand  changes,  into  eter- 
nity? And  how  should  not  God  be  immutable,  when 
He  knows  all  that  is,  was,  and  will  be,  and  can  be 
tempted  by  none ;  when  He  decrees,  and  commands, 
and  upholds,  and  overrules  through  all  length  of  time, 
and  breadth  of  space ;  and  Himself  "  inhabiteth  eter- 
nity?" And  if  the  immutable  God  hath  "foreknown," 
and  "predestinated,"  and  "called/'  and  "justified"  us, 
will  He  not  "  glorify  "  us  also  ?  0  Christian !  "  what 
shall  we  say  to  these  things?"  Let  us  say.  "Who  can 
be  against  us  ? "  and  "  Who  shall  lay  anything  to  the 
charge  of  God's  elect?"  and  "Who  is  he  that  con- 
demneth?"  and  add,  "In  all  these  things  we  are  more 
than  conquerors,  through  Him  that  loved  us."     Why, 


IN  CHRIST.  215 

the  saint  of  God,  founding  his  faith  upon  one  precious 
promise,  may  challenge  all  creation  to  separate  him 
from  the  love  of  Christ — may  challenge  all  that  God 
has  made,  and  sin  has  marred,  and  time  has  revealed, 
and  eternity  can  produce,  to  separate  him  from  the 
love  of  Christ !  "  Who  shall  separate  us  from  the  love 
of  Christ? "  "  Shall  tribulation  ? "  No  !  for  its  storm 
shall  but  hurry  us  to  Christ  for  shelter.  "Or  distress?" 
No  !  for  its  strain  shall  but  fix  our  anchor.  "  Or  per- 
secution V  No  !  for  its  knife  and  flame  shall  but 
emancipate  the  spirit.  "  Or  famine  ? "  No  !  for  it 
shall  but  hasten  home  the  prodigal.  "Or  nakedness?" 
No !  for  it  shall  but  strip  us,  that  He  may  clothe  us. 
"  Or  peril  ? "  No !  for  it  shall  make  Christ  walk  with 
us  upon  the  waters.  "Or  sword?"  No!  for  it  hath 
no  edge  to  sever  ties  of  immortality.  Oh !  "  who  shall 
separate  us  from  the  love  of  Christ  ? "  What !  separate 
us  from  love  that  is  at  once  omniscient,  omnipotent, 
immutable,  and  everlasting?  Never,  till  omniscience 
is  found  to  be  mistaken,  and  omnipotence  feeble,  and 
immutability  unstable,  and  eternity  measurable,  shall  a 
shadow  fall  across  the  upward  path  of  endless  hope,  or 
a  stream  fail  from  the  spring  of  endless  love,  or  a  tie 
loosen  in  the  bond  of  endless  union,  or  a  wave  ebb 
along  the  shore  of  endless  glory  !  "  For  I  am  persuaded 
that  neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor  principali- 
ties, nor  powers,  nor  tilings  present,  nor  things  to  come, 
nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor  any  other  creature,  shall  be 
able  to  separate  us  from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in 
Christ  Jesus  our  Lord !  *' 


216  IN  CHRIST. 

III.  Before  I  close  I  should  like  to  say  a  few  words 
about  some  of  the  largest  and  loveliest  fruits  of  blessing, 
growing  directly  out  of  our  union  with  the  Lord  Jesus. 
The  first  I  shall  mention  is  this :  we  have  already  suf- 
fered all  the  punishment  of  our  sins  "in  Him."  All  our 
sorrows  have  been  wrung  into  His  cup ;  every  bitter 
drop  of  grief,  and  every  black  drop  of  anguish  that 
must  have  been  drunk  ere  we  could  go  free,  was  wrung 
out  by  the  hands  of  Justice  into  His  cup,  and  He  has 
drunk  it  all,  to  the  very  dregs.  Behold  what  He  suf- 
fered while  He  lived,  and  how  He  paid  the  great  debt 
of  our  sin  in  death  ! 

God  punishes  sin  in  this  world,  as  well  as  in  the 
world  to  come.  Many  of  His  punishments  of  sin  in 
this  world  bear  the  stamp  of  holy  retributive  vengeance 
upon  their  very  surface ;  and  sometimes  so  plain  is  the 
mark,  that  there  is  no  mistaking  the  nature  of  the  sin 
which  caused  it.  It  is  written,  "Whosoever  exalteth 
himself  shall  be  abased."  Adam  and  Eve  began  by 
seeking  exaltation  in  a  sinful  way :  they  took  the  for- 
bidden fruit,  hoping  to  obtain  a  knowledge  of  good  and 
evil,  and  become  gods.  What  is  the  sentence  ?  They 
must  be  abased  ;  and  they  were  abased — they  beheld 
their  own  nakedness,  and  were  covered  with  shame; 
their  innocency,  and  loveliness,  and  peace,  and  immor- 
tality, were  all,  by  the  single  act  of  disobedience,  lost  at 
once,  and  but  for  the  undeserved  and  unexpected  and 
infinite  mercy  of  God,  were  lost  for  ever. 

Have  we  not  sinned  in  the  same  way,  and  do  we  not 
deserve  the  same  punishment?   Behold  that  punishment 


IN  CIIKIST.  217 

borne  by  Jesus !  His  whole  history,  from  the  cradle  to 
the  cross,  is  one  of  humiliation ;  He  came  down  all  the 
deep  steps  of  humiliations  to  the  very  bottom  of  abase- 
ment ;  and  there,  scourged  and  bound  to  the  cross,  He 
beheld  Himself  stripped  and  exposed  before  the  world 
as  our  crucified  substitute  ! 

Was  there  covetousness  in  Adam's  sin  ?  Was  it  not 
a  theft,  and  for  that  did  he  not  deserve  to  suffer  want 
in  this  world,  and  want  in  the  world  to  come  ?  And 
have  we  not  sinned  in  the  same  way,  and  do  we  not 
deserve  the  same  punishment?  Behold  that  punishment 
borne  by  Jesus !  His  whole  history,  from  the  cradle  to 
the  cross,  is  one  of  want.  Naked  and  poor  He  came 
into  this  world,  naked  and  poor  He  left  it;  for,  oh,  He 
was  our  substitute ! 

Was  there  not  greediness  in  Adam's  sin?  Did  he  not 
lust  after,  and  steal  a  forbidden  fruit  ?  And  did  he  not 
deserve  to  suffer  the  pains  of  hunger  here,  and  the  pains 
of  insatiable  hungerings  and  thirstings  hereafter?  And 
have  we  not  sinned  in  the  same  way,  and  do  we  not 
deserve  the  same  punishment?  Behold  that  punish- 
ment borne  by  Jesus!  His  whole  history,  from  the 
cradle  to  the  cross,  is  one  of  hungerings  and  thirstings ; 
for  forty  days  and  nights,  He  suffers  fasting  in  the 
wilderness ;  often  weary  with  hungering,  and  faint 
with  thirsting,  He  reaches  the  cross  at  last ;  and  there 
dies  thirsting,  that  we  might  not  thirst  for  a  drop  of 
water  to  cool  our  burning  tongues  in  hell ;  for,  oh,  He 
was  our  substitute ! 

Have  not  our  eyes  ministered  to  our  lusts,  and  do 


218  IN  CHRIST. 

we  not  deserve  to  be  blinded  by  the  wrath  of  God  for 
ever?  Behold  Him  standing  amid  the  multitude, 
blindfolded  by  a  bandage  tightly  tied  across  His  eyes — 
suffering  as  our  substitute  !  Have  we  not  deserved,  on 
account  of  our  iniquities,  to  be  clothed  with  shame,  and 
held  up  to  everlasting  contempt  ?  Behold  Him  clothed 
with  purple  and  crowned  with  thorns,  meekly  enduring 
the  bitter  mockery  of  the  multitude — suffering  as  our 
substitute  !  Have  we  not  deserved,  on  account  of  our 
guilt,  to  stand  speechless  and  condemned  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  universe,  before  the  judgment-seat  of  God, 
and  thence  to  be  driven  into  everlasting  torment  ?  Be- 
hold Him  standing  speechless  and  condemned,  in  the 
presence  of  the  multitude,  before  the  judgment-seat, 
and  thence  driven,  as  a  malefactor  unworthy  to  live,  to 
the  place  of  execution  :  He  is  our  substitute  !  Ought 
we  not  to  be  scourged  by  the  accusations  of  conscience, 
and  the  wrath  of  God  for  ever  ?  Behold  Him  stripped 
and  bound  to  yonder  pillar,  and  scourged  with  yon  red 
and  dripping  thong,  as  our  substitute  S  Ought  we  not 
to  be  laden  with  our  sins,  and  pains,  and  shames,  and 
sent  with  the  heavy  burden  to  the  place  of  torment  ? 
Behold  Him  carrying  His  cross  to  Calvary,  as  our  sub- 
stitute !  Ought  we  not  to  be  forsaken  by  earth,  and 
heaven,  and  God,  and  left  alone  to  die  in  our  misery  ? 
Behold  Him  of  whom  the  world  was  not  worthy,  re- 
jected by  His  foes,  and  forsaken  by  His  friends,  and  at 
last  by  His  God,  and  left  alone  to  expire  in  His  agony : 
for,  oh,  He  was  our  substitute !  Have  we  not  deserved 
to  be  cursed  by  the  mouth  of  God,  and  made  monu- 


IN  CHK1ST.  219 

nients  of  Almighty  vengeance  ?  Behold  Him  made  a 
curse  for  us,  and  see  in  yon  pale,  stripped,  blood-stained 
man,  the  mightiest  monument  of  the  wrath  of  God  ever 
erected !  for,  oh,  He  was  our  substitute  ! 

0  lovely,  mournful  Calvary!  'tis  sweet  to  the  sin- 
forgiven  to  linger  near  thee!  Thou  art  so  still  and 
sacred  that  the  very  angels  cease  their  singing  when 
they  come  to  thee !  Here  would  I  come  to  meditate  in 
silence  ;  for,  oh  !  I  have  sinned,  and  it  is  here  my  sins 
have  been  atoned  for,  and  on  this  spot  my  soul  has  been 
washed  white,  and  clad  in  righteousness,  that  it  might 
be  married  to  its  Lord;  here  is  the  marriage  altar;  here 
the  marriage  price  of  my  redemption ;  here  the  marriage 
pledge  of  my  acceptance ;  here  the  marriage  bond  of  my 
everlasting  union.  0  holy  union !  so  intimate  wert  thou 
that  through  thee  He  took  my  guilt,  and  I  His  right- 
eousness— so  intimate  that  through  thee  I  died  with 
Him  upon  the  cross ;  and  was  carried  with  Him  to  the 
cold  tomb ;  and  lay  with  Him  three  days  in  silence,  and 
darkness,  and  the  sleep  of  death;  and  awoke  with  Him 
before  the  sunrise  on  the  resurrection  morn  ;  and  arose 
with  Him  to  God!  So  intimate  art  thou,  that  at  this 
hour,  while  my  poor  body  and  imprisoned  spirit  linger 
below,  my  life  is  far  away — is  hidden  through  thee  in 
Him,  and  resting  through  thee  with  Him,  in  the  light, 
and  calm,  and  glory  of  the  countenance  of  God ! 

0  my  dear  brothers  and  sisters  in  the  Lord  Jesus, 
how  pure  is  our  union  to  each  other  and  to  Him  !  Are 
we  not  now  holy?  and  is  not  this  holiness  the  fruit 
of  our  union?     Are  we  not  by  His  "obedience"  "made 


220  IN  CHRIST. 

righteous  \ "  Has  He  not  become  "  the  end  of  the  law 
for  righteousness  "  to  us  ?  Is  not  "  the  righteousness  of 
the  law  fulfilled  in  us?"  and  are  we  not  made  "the 
righteousness  of  God  in  Him?"  Is  not  this  one  of 
the  richest  of  all  those  blessings  that  ever  have  been 
or  will  be  brought  us  by  union  with  Jesus  ?  Oh  yes ! 
and  it  is  "  the  gift  of  God." 

As  for  us,  we  have  nothing  to  boast  of  but  Christ ! 
nothing  to  plead  but  Christ !  The  righteousness  which 
we  once  had,  was  ours  wholly ;  the  righteousness  which 
we  now  have,  is  but  ours  partly.  We  made  for  our- 
selves the  first,  He  has  made  for  us  the  second.  The 
first,  that  was  wholly  ours,  has  He  taken  from  us  ;  the 
second,  which  was  wholly  His,  has  He  given  to  us. 
We  are  clothed  no  more  in  "  filthy  rags,"  but  in  "  fine 
linen,  which  is  the  righteousness  of  the  saints."  And 
now  the  righteousness  we  "make  mention  of,"  and 
"  sing  aloud  of/'  is  His  only,  yet  ours  evermore. 

We  have  no  righteousness  to  shew  on  earth,  though 
while  we  are  on  earth  we  have  righteousness  to  shew. 
It  is  all  up  with  God  in  heaven ;  and  if  you  would 
behold  it,  first  look  into  God's  treasury  there,  and  you 
will  find  a  "crown  of  righteousness"  "laid  up"  for 
us;  and  then  look  upon  the  throne  at  God's  right 
hand,  and  you  will  see  "  The  Lord  our  Righteousness." 
Our  union  to  Him  is  death,  for  'tis  His  crucifixion ; 
and  our  union  to  Him  is  life,  for  'tis  our  righteousness ; 
and  when  He,  "  who  is  our  life,  shall  appear,  then  shall 
we  also  appear  with  Him  in  glory." 

Another  blessing,  which  becomes  ours  because  we 


IN  CHRIST.  221 

are  Christ's,  is  the  possession  of  "all  things."  Now, 
dear  brethren,  we  gain  more  in  Christ  than  we  ever 
lost  in  Adam.  Just  compare  the  two  states.  What 
had  we  once  in  Adam  ?  We  had  a  few  miles  of  culti- 
vated garden ;  a  few  rivers  round  it ;  a  few  fruit-trees, 
of  which  only  two  were  of  especial  value — the  tree  of 
the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  and  the  tree  of  life ; 
we  had  the  occasional  company  of  angels,  and  of  the 
Lord  of  angels  j  we  had  innocency,  and  youth,  and 
beauty,  and  happiness,  and  bright  prospects  of  im- 
mortality. And  what  are  these  when  compared  to  our 
present  possessions  in  Christ  ?  Now,  mark !  I  do  not 
say  our  present  possessions  out  of  Christ;  as  fallen 
creatures  we  have  really  no  possession  but  the  heritage 
of  sin  and  woe.  We  are  born  into  the  world  naked, 
we  pass  through  the  world  naked,  and  we  go  out  of  the 
world  naked.  As  to  earthly  goods  and  glories,  they 
are  altogether  vanity !  Titles  are  but  hollow  names  ! 
Noble  descent  is  but  a  gay  deception  !  Money  is  but 
fictitious  treasure !  Estates  and  kingdoms  are  but 
nominal  possessions !  And  respectability,  and  gentility, 
and  nobility,  and  royalty,  are  but  paint,  and  varnish, 
and  silvering,  and  gilding ;  and  we,  beneath  it  all,  are 
all  alike  : — only  dust,  and  disease,  and  vanity  !  But, 
oh,  blessed  be  God!  in  Christ  how  different  it  is! 
Instead  of  possessing,  like  Adam,  a  few  miles  of  culti- 
vated garden,  we  have  all  the  world ;  for  it  is  written, 
"  The  meek  shall  inherit  the  earth ! "  Instead  of  a 
possession  bounded  by  the  horizon,  we  have  a  place 
prepared  for  us,  so  distant  as  to  be  far  beyond  the 


222  m  CHRIST. 

reach  of  human  vision ;  and  so  glorious  as  to  exceed, 
almost  infinitely,  the  most  sublime  and  beautiful  con- 
ceptions that  ever  illuminated  the  mind  of  man  on 
earth.  Instead  of  the  child-like  innocency,  and  youth, 
and  beauty,  of  our  first  parents,  we  have  Christ-like 
innocency,  and  youth,  and  beauty — even  innocency 
with  wisdom,  youth  with  age,  and  beauty  with  glory. 
Instead  of  the  occasional  visits  of  angels,  and  the  Lord 
of  angels,  we  have  their  constant  company,  and  shall 
hold  sweet,  and  intimate,  and  holy,  and  blessed,  and 
never-ending  converse  with  them  all,  and  dwell  in  the 
bright  shining  of  the  lovely  and  everlasting  smile  of 
God !  0  joy  unspeakable  !  Instead  of  being  exposed 
to  temptation  and  change,  we  shall  abide  in  the  light 
of  God's  shadow,  and  rest  in  the  calm  of  God's  security, 
and  dwell  in  the  temple  of  God's  eternity.  0  great 
hope  of  greatest  glory!  No  more  will  we  ask,  what 
have  we  in  Christ,  but  rather,  what  have  we  not  ?  This 
is  "the  inheritance  incorruptible,  undefiled,  and  that 
fadeth  not  away/'  Behold  "  the  Mount  Zion  " — "  the 
city  of  the  living  God" — "the  heavenly  Jerusalem" — 
"  the  innumerable  company  of  angels  " — "  the  general 
assembly  and  church  of  the  first-born" — "the  spirits 
of  just  men  made  perfect " — "  Jesus  the  Mediator  of 
the  new  covenant" — and  "God  the  Judge  of  all" — 
and  learn  that  "  all  things  are  yours  !  whether  Paul,  or 
Apollos,  or  Cephas,  or  the  world,  or  life,  or  death,  or 
things  present,  or  things  to  come ;  and  ye  are  Christ's, 
and  Christ  is  God's ! "  and  that  God  says  to  you,  "  He 
that  overcometh  shall  inherit  all  things,  and  I  will  be 


IN  CHRIST.  223 

his  God,  and  he  shall  be  my  son."  And  all  this  "that 
in  the  ages  to  come,  He  might  shew  the  exceeding  riches 
of  His  grace  in  His  kindness  towards  us,  through 
Christ  Jesus ! " 

"  Soon  shall  our  doubts  and  fears 
Subside  at  His  control ; 
His  loving  kindness  shall  break  through 
The  midnight  of  the  soul ! 

Then  let  our  songs  abound, 

Let  every  tear  be  dry ; 
We  're  marching  through  Emmanuel's  ground, 

To  fairer  worlds  on  high  ! " 

With  one  more  remark  I  close.  By  our  union  with 
the  Lord  Jesus,  not  only  do  we  suffer  all  the  punish- 
ment of  our  sins,  and  fulfil  all  the  righteousness  of  the 
law,  and  inherit  all  the  riches  of  the  imiverse,  but  we 
become  everlastingly  one  with  God !  Christ's  prayer 
for  His  people  to  God  is,  "  That  they  all  may  be  one, 
as  Thou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and  I  in  Thee,  that  they  also 
may  be  one  in  us!"  "I  in  them,  and  Thou  in  me!" 
Christ's  express  declaration  to  His  people  is,  "If  a  man 
love  me,  he  will  keep  my  words :  and  my  Father  will 
love  him,  and  we  will  come  unto  him,  and  make  our 
abode  with  him!"  And  Christ's  precious  promise  to 
His  people  is,  "At  that  day  ye  shall  know  that  /  am  in 
my  Father,  and  ye  in  me,  and  I  in  you  !  " 

The  human  eye  cannot  distinguish  objects  below  a 
certain  degree  of  darkness,  or  above  a  certain  degree  of 
brightness.  So  with  the  human  mind :  there  are  some 
things  too  dark  to  be  understood,  other  things  too 


224  IN  CHRIST. 

bright  to  be  beheld.  This  union  with  God  is  surely  a 
mystery  of  light.  Oh !  who  can  understand  it  ?  There 
it  shines  reflected  in  the  book  of  God — dimly  reflected, 
yet  shining  with  great  glory ;  like  the  face  of  the  sun 
that  shines  through  a  thin  veil  of  mist  upon  the  river, 
reflected  back  to  us  by  the  water ;  so  glorious,  and  yet 
so  dim  when  compared  with  its  own  brightness  above. 

Behold:  Here  is  union  and  communion  with  the 
Infinite  and  the  Eternal  I 

What !  union  and  communion  with  God  ?  How  can 
my  soul  ever  do  more  than  float  upon  such  an  expanse 
of  illimitable  light,  unmeasurable  love,  infinite  power, 
unfathomable  wisdom,  and  everlasting  life  ?  0  my 
soul !  behold  that  light,  and  love,  and  power,  and  wis- 
dom, and  life,  dwelling  in  the  soul,  and  shining  in  the 
face  of  Jesus ;  and  know  that  children  have  lain  in 
His  arms,  and  the  lowly  upon  His  bosom  ! 

Here,  then,  will  I  rest.  It  is  enough  for  me  to  see 
as  much  as  I  can  bear  of  that  glory  shining  in  the  face 
of  Jesus.  Mine  is  not  to  float  unmoored  across  the  In- 
finite in  a  dream  of  bewilderment ;  but  to  rest,  and 
learn,  and  love  in  the  light  of  God's  image  !  0  Jesus  ! 
Jesus !  My  All !  My  All !  If  I  weep  at  the  thought, 
my  tears  are  tears  of  joy.  Come,  Lord !  one  sight  of 
Thee  shall  dry  my  tears  of  sorrow,  that  I  may  weep 
with  joy  for  ever  !  Oh,  I  have  a  desire  to  depart  and 
be  with  Thee,  which  is  far  better ;  but  I  will  wait  in 
patient  hope  and  peaceful  confidence  to  hear  Thy  call ; 
for  as  I  am  betrothed  to  Thee  for  ever,  Thy  will  is  my 
will,  and  Thy  time  my  time !     This  do  I  know,  that 


IN  CHEIST.  225 

Thy  delays  are  never  from  forgetfulness  or  change. 
Come,  then,  when  Thou  wilt,  only  may  I  be  ready. 

In  conclusion,  all  I  can  say  is,  "  Oh  the  depth  of  the 
riches  both  of  the  wisdom  and  knowledge  of  God  !  how 
unsearchable  are  His  judgments,  and  His  ways  past 
finding  out !  For  who  hath  known  the  mind  of  the 
Lord  ?  or  who  hath  been  His  counsellor  ?  Or  who  hath 
first  given  to  him,  and  it  shall  be  recompensed  to  him 
again  ?  For  of  Him  !  and  through  Him  !  and  to 
Him  !  are  all  things  !  to  whom  be  glory  for  ever  ! 
Amen."  To  aiy  unconverted  brother  or  sister  one  word 
before  I  close — "  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
thou  shalt  be  saved." 


SEKMON  XL 


THE  NAME  OF  JESUS. 
Phil.  ii.  10. 

*  That  at  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of  things  in 
heaven,  and  things  in  earth,  and  things  under  the  earth." 

The  words  of  my  text  are  these — "  The  name  of  Jesus." 
Our  blessed  Lord  has  many  names,  some  justly  and 
some  unjustly  given  Him — evil  names  as  well  as  good. 
Light  loves  light;  and  darkness,  darkness.  And  light 
hates  darkness ;  and  darkness,  light.  He  was  light ; 
and,  therefore,  darkness  hated  Him,  and  light  loved 
Him.  As  there  are  numbers  now  who  call  light  dark- 
ness, so  there  were  numbers  then  who  called  Him  evil; 
but  no  bad  name  can  soil  sunshine,  or  stain  perfection. 
Men's  good  names  are  often  magnifying  glasses,  through 
which  we  behold  them  falsely  transfigured ;  but  Christ's 
good  names  are  always  looking-glasses,  in  which  we  be- 
hold Him  truly  reflected.  Though  Christ  has  hundreds 
of  these  reflectors  round  Him,  they  only  shew  us  little 
glimpses  of  His  glory ;  but,  oh !  if  the  light  reflected 


THE  NAME  OP  JESUS.  227 

even  from  these  is  stronger  than  human  eyes  can  bear, 
what  must  be  the  vision  of  Himself ! 

Behold  Him  reflected  in  some  of  those  glasses  for 
yourselves.  Christ  is  called  our  Adam  :  He  hath  be- 
gotten all  the  sons  of  God.  Our  Angel:  He  hath 
brought  us  messages  from  heaven.  Our  Apostle  :  He 
hath  been  sent  to  preach  to  us  the  everlasting  gospel. 
Our  Advocate :  He  pleads  our  cause  with  the  Great 
Judge  in  the  inner  temple.  Our  Captain:  He  leads  us 
on  to  certain  victory.  Our  Counsellor :  He  teaches  us 
to  understand  both  good  and  evil.  Our  Prophet :  He 
reveals  to  us  the  future.  Our  Priest :  He  offers  our 
only  sacrifice  for  sins.  Our  King:  He  reigneth  in  love 
and  wisdom  over  us.  Our  Redeemer:  He  saves  our 
souls  from  destruction.  Our  Surety:  He  stands  in  our 
room  to  do  and  suffer  everything  for  us.  Our  Law- 
giver :  He  giveth  us  the  commandments  of  the  New 
Covenant.  Our  Shepherd :  He  feeds  and  keeps  us. 
Our  Servant :  He  attends  us  and  has  humbled  Himself, 
even  to  washing  our  feet.  Our  Forerunner :  He  has 
gone  on  before  to  prepare  heaven  for  us.  Our  Mediator: 
He  stands  between  God  and  our  souls.  Our  Judge: 
He  shall,  before  assembled  myriads,  acquit  us  of  iniquity. 
Our  Husband:  He  shall  marry  us  to  Himself  in  heaven 
for  ever.  But  no  names  yet  given  Him,  have  been  suf- 
ficient to  express  all  His  goodness  and  glory.  He  is 
the  Alpha  and  Omega ;  the  Door  and  the  Way ;  the 
Foundation  and  the  Corner-Stone ;  the  Root  and  the 
Branch  ;  the  Star  and  the  Sun ;  the  Lamb  and  the 
Lion;  the  Lily  and  the  Rose;  the  Rock  and  the  Shadow; 


228  THE  NAME  OF  JESUS. 

the  Light  and  the  Life  ;  the  Word  and  the  Truth  ;  the 
First  and  the  Last:  — 

"  Nor  earth,  nor  seas,  nor  sun,  nor  stars, 
Nor  heaven,  His  full  resemblance  bears; 
His  beauties  you  can  never  trace, 
Till  you  behold  Him  face  to  face." 

But  of  all  the  names  Christ  bears,  surely  the  sweetest 
is  the  name  of  Jesus — a  name,  the  sound  of  which  is 
sweet  as  the  music  of  angel  harpers,  and  fragrant  as  the 
roses  of  all  heaven.  And  now  may  the  Lord  be  with 
me  while  I  dwell  upon  that  name,  and  try  to  shew  you 
four  things :  first,  The  meaning  of  the  name  of  Jesus  ; 
secondly,  The  power  of  the  name  of  Jesus  ;  thirdly,  The 
majesty  of  the  name  of  Jesus ;  and  fourthly,  The  pre- 
ciousness  of  the  name  of  Jesus.  The  name  of  Jesus — 
its  meaning,  power,  majesty,  and  preciousness. 

I.   The  meaning  of  the  name  of  Jesus. 

If  you  turn  with  me  to  the  first  chapter  of  the  Gospel 
of  St  Matthew,  you  will  find  its  exposition  given  by 
God.  In  the  eighteenth  verse  you  read,  "  Now  the 
birth  of  Jesus  Christ  was  on  this  wise  :  When  as  his 
mother  Mary  was  espoused  to  Joseph,  before  they  came 
together,  she  was  found  with  child  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Then  Joseph  her  husband,  being  a  just  man,  and  not 
willing  to  make  her  a  public  example,  was  minded  to 
put  her  away  privily.  But  while  he  thought  on  these 
things" — not  acting  before  thinking — "while  bethought 
on  these  things,  behold,  the  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared 
unto  him  in  a  dream,  saying,  Joseph,  thou  son  of  David, 
fear  not  to  take  unto  thee  Mary  thy  wife :  for  that  which 


THE  NAME  OF  JESUS.  229 

is  conceived  in  her  is  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  she  shall 
bring  forth  a  son,  and  thou  shalt  call  his  name  JESUS ; 
for  he  shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins." 

Now,  we  have  an  angel's  exposition  of  the  meaning 
of  the  name  of  Jesus.  Jesus  means  Saviour ;  and  the 
reason  why  He  was  called  Saviour  is  just  this,  in  lan- 
guage at  once  the  most  concise  and  the  most  compre- 
hensive— "  He  shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins." 
My  prayer  to  God  is,  that  He  would  so  help  me  to  speak 
to  you  by  His  Spirit,  that  this  name,  so  great  and 
weighty  with  holy  and  heavenly  meaning,  may  be  made 
your  comfort  and  glory  for  time  and  eternity. 

Now  let  us  examine  this  sweet  exposition.  He  is 
called  Jesus,  "  for  HE  shall  save/'  Mark  that — He, 
not  they.  If  I  could  save  myself,  Christ  would  be  no 
more  Jesus  to  me.  But,  alas  !  I  can  go  neither  forward 
nor  backward.  I  cannot  go  back  to  undo  the  past,  and 
atone  for  my  sins ;  and  I  cannot  go  forward  to  fulfil 
the  law  for  the  future,  and  climb  over  Sinai  to  heaven. 
Who  can  climb  that  awful  Sinai  ?  If  you  touch  it,  you 
are  stoned,  or  thrust  through  with  a  dart.  Could  you 
climb  its  trembling  crags,  you  would  be  lost  in  the 
blackness  above.  Could  you  pass  through  the  smoke, 
you  would  be  stunned  and  blinded  by  the  thunderings 
and  lightnings.  Or  could  you  endure  these,  you  would 
sink  amid  the  intolerable  blaze  of  glory,  and  die  in 
terror.  But  Christ  has  climbed  it  for  us.  Up  amid  the 
darkness  and  tempest,  and  voice  of  words,  and  awful 
threatenings,  and  smoke  of  wrath — up  to  the  top,  and 
into  heaven ;  and  now,  having  trod  that  way  for  us, 


2o0  THE  NAME  OP  JESUS. 

there  is  no  need  we  should  tread  that  way  for  ourselves. 
"  It  is  finished."     He  saves  us. 

Now,  there  are  many  in  the  present  day  who  suppose 
people  can  be  saved  by  baptism  ;  they  say,  "  He  that  is 
baptized  shall  be  saved."  That  is  but  one  half  the  sen- 
tence ;  it  is  "  He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be 
saved."  Now  which  is  it  saves  the  man — faith  or  bap- 
tism ?  Do  you  say  baptism  ?  Then  the  want  of  baptism 
damns  a  man.  Now  what  of  the  dying  thief,  who  was 
never  baptized  ?  Nay,  nay ;  it  is  the  want  of  faith  that 
destroys.  "  He  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned."  I 
never  read — "  Therefore,  being  justified  by  baptism,  we 
have  peace  with  God."  Nor,  "  He  that  is  not  baptized 
shall  be  damned."  I  received  a  letter  lately,  which 
harrowed  up  my  heart,  from  a  gentleman  whose  child 
had  died  without  being  baptized.  He  wrote  to  say — 
"  Sir,  I  and  my  wife  are  in  sore  trouble  ;  our  child, 
lately  born,  is  dead  ;  and  when  we  asked  our  clergyman 
to  bury  it,  he  said,  '  I  cannot,  because  it  has  not  been 
baptized!'  Sir,"  said  the  gentleman,  "do  you  think 
the  child's  soul  is  saved  V  Do  you  think  its  soul  is 
saved  ?  I  believe  there  may  be  some  of  you  here  to- 
night who  have  fallen  into  this  Romish  error  of  baptismal 
regeneration.  Know  this,  that  you  may  baptize  a  child 
a  thousand  times,  and  that  child  grow  up  and  go  to  hell 
after  all.  Know  this,  that  you  may  never  baptize  a  child 
at  all,  or  sprinkle  it  in  the  name  of  God,  yet  that  child, 
dying  an  infant,  shall  be  carried,  as  was  Lazarus,  to  the 
bosom  of  God.  Oh !  believe  me,  it  is  not  written, 
"Baptism  shall  save,"  but  "He  shall  save." 


THE  NAME  OF  JESUS.  231 

Some  say,  faith  saves.  I  tell  them,  "  Faith  without 
works  is  dead."  But  they  say,  faith,  with  works,  does 
save.  I  answer,  "  By  grace  we  are  saved,  through 
faith."  The  door  of  faith  leads  into  the  tower  of  Christ. 
The  door  does  not  save,  but  the  tower.  Not  faith, 
though  faith  is  the  means ;  but  Christ.  Some  think 
that  taking  the  Lord's  supper  can  save  them ;  but  they 
only  deceive  themselves,  and  dishonour  Christ.  Some 
think  that  ministers  can  forgive  sins  ;  others,  that  the 
Virgin  Mary  can  save ;  but  what  saith  the  gospel — 
"He  shall  save  His  people  from  their  sins."  He 
alone. 

But  whom  is  this  Saviour  to  deliver  ?  We  read,  "  His 
people."  A  diseased  body  is  a  sight  very  sorrowful ;  a 
diseased  mind  is  a  sight  more  shocking ;  but  oh,  a 
diseased  soul  is  a  sight  most  appalling !  Here  is  a  Phy- 
sician who  can  cure  all  pains  of  the  body,  all  madness  of 
the  mind,  and  all  sin  of  the  soul.  Well  may  He  be 
called  Jesus.  He  saves  a  mighty  multitude  of  fallen 
people,  of  every  nation  and  tongue  under  heaven.  But 
though  He  saves  such  multitudes,  such  crowds,  such 
nations,  such  innumerable  myriads,  yet  He  saves  none 
but  "  His  people."  They  are  His  ;  for  they  have  given 
themselves  to  Him  for  ever.  They  were  His  ages  ago  ; 
for  He  bought  them  with  His  precious  blood — "  who 
gave  Himself  for  us."  And  they  were  His  before  the 
birth  of  man,  or  the  world — "  according  as  He  hath 
chosen  us  in  Him  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world." 

But  there  is  still  more  meaning  in  this  sweet  name 


232  THE  NAME  OF  JESUS. 

Jesus.  It  means  Saviour  from  sins.  Oh,  this  is  a 
wonderful  thing !  When  Christ  makes  a  black  soul 
white,  He  works  a  greater  miracle  than  if  He  changed 
the  colour  of  an  Ethiopian's  skin.  Then  is  it  true,  that  if 
I  am  His,  He  has  taken  the  stain  of  sin  out  of  my  soul  ? 
Is  my  guilt  gone  ?  How  can  this  be  ?  I  have  sinned. 
The  past  cannot  be  undone.  The  future  will  not  alter 
the  past.  How  can  my  present  guilt  on  account  of  past 
sin  be  removed  ?  How  can  I  be  ever  looked  upon  as 
anything  but  guilty  ?  What !  if  He  made  my  guilt  His 
own,  and  bore  it  for  me  ?  But  did  He  ?  Why,  if  He 
did  not  bear  our  guilt,  what  did  He  bear  ?  Surely,  "  the 
Lord  hath  laid  on  Him  the  iniquities  of  us  all ; "  and 
thus  "  by  His  stripes  we  are  healed !"  Oh,  lovely  name ! 
Jesus  !  Jesus  !  There  is  a  heaven  of  pardon,  and  purity, 
and  peace  in  it !  and  all  for  the  hell-deserving  !  Ah  ! 
blessed  be  God,  there  is  One  found  to  wear  my  black 
robe,  that  I  might  wear  His  white  robe.  He  takes 
guilt  and  gives  righteousness.  But  mark  you  ;  He  would 
not  be  truly  "  Jesus,"  if  this  was  all  He  did  for  us.  If 
He  covered  over  my  painful  wound,  and  did  not  heal  it, 
would  I  be  cured  ?  If  He  forgave  me  for  cutting  myself 
among  the  tombs,  and  did  not  cast  out  my  "legion," 
could  I  sit  at  His  feet  in  my  right  mind  ?  Ah  no  !  He 
that  said  to  me,  "  Thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee,"  said  also 
"  Rise,  take  up  thy  bed  and  walk."  He  that  took  sin's 
brand  of  guilt  out  of  my  brow,  took  also  sin's  yoke  of 
tyranny  off  my  neck,  and  sweetly  whispered,  not  only 
"  Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee ;"  but  also,  "  Sin  shall  not 
have  dominion  over  you." 


THE  NAME  OF  JESUS.  233 

"  Jesus  beholds  where  Satan  reigns, 
Binding  His  slaves  in  heavy  chains ; 
He  sets  the  prisoners  free  ! — and  breaks 
The  iron  bondage  from  our  necks." 

But  even  if  this  was  all,  He  would  not  deserve  the 
name  of  Jesus.  If  He  first  forgave  me,  and  then  let 
me  die  in  prison,  would  He  be  my  Saviour  ?  But  oh  ! 
Christ  never  hands  any  man  over  to  the  executioner 
whom  He  has  pardoned.  If  He  does  this,  He  pardons 
in  vain.  But  nay — He  slays  strong  death — robs  the 
follow  grave — and  quenches  the  fire  of  hell.  Oh,  here 
is  triumph  !  With  my  quivering  lips  I'll  sing  that  name 
in  death,  for  death  is  dead  to  me  through  Jesus. 

"  Now  sin  is  pardon'd,  I  'm  secure, 
Death  has  no  sting  beside ; 
The  law  gives  sin  its  damning  power; 
But  Christ  my  ransom  died  !  " 

Oh!  what  are  we  dreaming  for?  Why  don't  we 
break  out  into  praises  ?  Do  we  believe  this  ?  Is  our 
victory  sure  ?  Is  it  certain  ?  Then  heaven  is  ours ! 
And  more  than  heaven,  and  more  than  heavens  in  multi- 
tudes countless  as  stars — Christ,  Christ  is  ours !  Christ, 
Christ,  the  real  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  ours !  ours  ! 

"  Let  others  stretch  their  arms  like  seas, 
And  grasp  in  all  the  shore ; 
Grant  me  the  visits  of  Christ's  face, 
And  I  desire  no  more." 

II.  The  power  of  the  name  of  Jesus. 
First,  it  has  power  as  an  authority.     Behold,  at  the 
gate  of  the  temple  called  "Beautiful/'  there  lies  a  cripple, 


23-t  THE  NA^IE  OF  JESUS. 

begging.  Peter  and  John  pass  by,  and  the  man,  look- 
ing  up  to  them,  says,  "  Give  me  alms."  Then  says 
Peter,  gazing  upon  him — "  Silver  and  gold  have  I 
none."  Christ's  followers  are  seldom  rich — riches  are 
certain  cares,  uncertain  comforts,  and  frequent  curses. 
There  is  an  old  prayer  which  John  Bunyan  says  has 
grown  rusty  from  want  of  use — "  Give  me  not  riches." 
"  Silver  and  gold  have  I  none,"  says  Peter,  "  but,"  he 
says,  "such  as  I  have  give  I  thee/'  Now,  mark  his 
words — "  In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Nazareth, 
rise  up  and  walk  ;"  and  the  man's  limbs,  which  had  been 
long  cramped  up  by  disease,  are  loosed,  and  he  leaps 
up,  stands,  walks,  and  enters  the  temple,  praising  God. 
Then  straightway  the  Jews  are  roused  in  envy  and  rage, 
and  thrust  Peter  and  John  into  prison  for  that  night. 
The  next  day  they  bring  them  forth  before  a  great 
tribunal  and  say — "  By  what  power  or  by  what  name 
have  ye  done  this  ? "  Then  cries  Peter,  rilled  with  the 
Holy  Ghost,  "  Be  it  known  unto  you  all,  and  to  all  the 
people  of  Israel,  that  by  the  name  of  Jesus  of  Naza- 
reth, whom  ye  crucified,  whom  God  raised  from  the 
dead,  even  by  Him  doth  this  man  stand  before  you 
whole/'  Again — Behold  Paul  and  Silas  followed  at 
Philippi  by  a  damsel  with  the  spirit  of  divination. 
Behold  Paul,  being  grieved,  turning  and  saying  to  the 
spirit,  "  I  command  thee  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ 
to  come  out  of  her  ; "  and  see  the  spirit  come  out  the 
same  hour;  and  learn  the  wonderful  power  of  the  name 
of  Jesus,  weighty  in  unsurpassed  authority  as  the  awful 
name  of  Jehovah. 


THE  NAME  OF  JESUS.  235 

0  Christian,  do  you  wish  to  see  "the  lame  man 
ap  as  a  hart,"  and  to  hear  "  the  tongue  of  the  dumb 
sing,"  and  to  behold  "in  the  wilderness  waters  break 
forth,  and  streams  in  the  desert  ? "  then  use  the  name  of 
Jesus  as  an  authority.  Speak  in  that  name ;  warn,  and 
command,  and  entreat  dying  sinners  in  that  name;  and 
you  will  find  men  will  listen,  and  tremble,  and  turn  to 
the  Lord;  "for  there  is  none  other  name  under  heaven 
given  among  men  whereby  we  must  be  saved,"  but  the 
name  of  Jesus. 

Now,  I  want  to  get  a  little  closer  to  your  consciences, 
if  I  can,  while  I  shew  you  the  power  of  the  name  of 
Jesus  as  a  test.  Now,  here  is  my  authority.  Turn  to 
Col.  iii.  17,  and  read,  "Whatsoever  ye  do  in  word  or 
deed,  do  all  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus."  There 
is  a  plain  command,  and  you  will  find,  if  you  obey  it, 
that  your  conscience  will  grow  more  tender  to  the 
touch,  and  its  voice  will  grow  louder  to  the  ear,  and 
your  garments  will  be  kept  whiter  than  before,  and  the 
rod  will  fall  more  rarely.  Now,  if  I  want  to  detect  the 
presence  of  acid  in  any  liquid,  a  little  test-paper  will  do 
it  for  me  in  a  minute  ;  and  if,  on  account  of  the  clear 
look  and  sweet  taste  of  any  pleasure,  I  doubt  the  pre- 
sence of  sin  in  it,  and  want  to  prove  whether  it  be  there 
or  no,  all  I  have  to  do  is  to  use  this  holy  test,  "  The 
name  of  Jesus,"  and  it  will  shew  me  the  sin,  if  it  be  in 
the  thing.  I  have  sometimes  received  letters  from  per- 
sons wanting  to  know  whether  it  was  right  to  go  to 
concerts  or  not.  All  I  have  to  say  to  such  is — try  by 
this  *est  for  yourself :  can  you  go  to  a  concert  in  the 


236  THE  NAME  OF  JESUS. 

name  of  Jesus  ?  That  is  all  I  will  answer.  I  know 
many  of  you  are  troubled  with  doubts  about  your  plea- 
sures ;  you  are  not  always  quite  sure  that  they  are  quite 
lawful.  Well,  try  them  by  this  test.  The  next  time 
you  take  a  novel  in  your  hand,  ask  yourself,  before  God, 
"  Can  I  read  this  novel  in  the  name  of  Jesus  ? "  The 
next  time  you  open  that  book  of  plays,  ask  yourself, 
"  Can  I  read  this  in  the  name  of  Jesus  ? "  The  next 
time  you  receive  an  invitation  to  go  to  a  dinner  or 
evening  party,  ask  yourself,  before  you  consent,  "  Can 
I  go  in  the  name  of  Jesus ?"  I  am  certain  that  if  you 
dealt  fairly  with  yourself,  and  did  no  violence  to  your 
conscience,  but  obeyed  the  voice  of  God  sounding  with- 
in you,  it  would  turn  the  course  of  your  conduct  into 
a  different  channel ;  and  you  would  find  the  muddy, 
roughened  stream  of  life,  growing  clear  and  calm  in 
its  passage  through  the  valley  of  humility,  under  the 
shelter  of  the  great  rock,  Christ  Jesus.  Oh,  do  not 
confine  that  conscience  in  a  dungeon,  that  should  sit 
upon  a  throne,  and  put  that  passion  on  a  throne,  that 
should  lie  in  a  dungeon.  I  warn  you  that  if  you  shut 
out  conscience,  you  shut  out  heaven ;  and  if  you  shut 
in  passion,  you  shut  in  hell.  Some  men  act  like  devils, 
and  dare  to  ^ao;  the  mouth  of  conscience,  and  tie  the 
limbs  of  God's  ambassador,  and  double  him  down  alive 
in  a  strong  coffin,  and  wish  him  dead.  But  they  cannot 
kill  him  ;  and  the  time  is  coming  when  God's  despised 
ambassador  shall  become  God's  terrible  executioner, 
who  shall  no  more  speak  with  the  tongue  but  with  the 
rod  ;  for  "  he  that  being  often  reproved,  hardeneth  his 


THE  NAME  OF  JESUS.  237 

neck,  shall  suddenly  be  destroyed,  and  that  without 
remedy. "  May  I  beseech  you,  then,  to  try  your  every- 
day employments  by  this  test  ?  You,  the  business  you 
are  engaged  in  ;  you,  the  letters  you  write ;  you,  the 
statements  you  make.  Could  any  but  a  blasphemer 
open  a  public-house  in  the  name  of  Jesus?  Could  any 
but  a  long-hardened  liar  state  what  was  not  strictly 
true  in  the  name  of  Jesus?  No,  that  name  would 
scald  their  lips — they  dare  not  use  it  thus.  Oh  that 
men  would  use  this  test!  It  would  soon  sweep  the 
world  free  from  many  an  abomination,  and  holiness 
would  triumph  over  sin,  and  God  over  Satan.  Once 
more,  I  humbly  ask  you  to  try  and  practise  this. 

Before  I  pass  on,  let  me  dwell  a  moment  on  the 
power  of  the  name  of  Jesus  as  a  plea.  I  have  sinned 
against  God ;  God  is  angry  with  me ;  I  want  Him  to 
forgive  me ;  how  shall  I  ask  Him  to  do  it  ?  I  come 
trembling  to  Him ;  I  say,  "  0  Lord,  forgive  me."  God 
answers — "Sin  shall  not  go  unpunished/'  I  bow  down 
my  head  and  weep  ;  and  I  hear  the  sweet  voice  of  the 
Spirit,  whispering,  "Jesus  has  died  for  you;"  but  I 
listen  as  one  in  a  dream — I  cannot  speak — I  am  dumb 
with  sorrow  and  despair.  Then  I  hear  another  saying 
to  me  from  above — "  Whatsoever  ye  ask  the  Father  in 
my  name,  He  will  give  it  you ; "  and  the  voice  of  the 
Spirit  whispers,  "Come  and  try;"  and  I  lift  up  my 
voice,  and  cry  with  tears,  "0  Lord,  forgive  me  for 
Jesus'  sake."  And  I  hear  words  sweet  and  solemn,  in 
sound  deep  as  the  voice  of  ocean,  and  calm  as  the  breath 
of  heaven,  coming  from  the  broad  bosom  of  boundless 


238  THE  NAME  OF  JESUS. 

love — u  Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee,  go  in  peace."  Now, 
I  turn  to  you ;  and  oh,  I  beseech  you  let  no  power  in 
earth  or  hell  prevail  with  you  to  use  any  other  name  as 
a  plea  in  prayer,  but  the  name  of  Jesus — not  the  name 
of  any  saint,  or  apostle,  or  virgin,  or  angel  whatsoever; 
for  God  says — "There  is  no  other  name  under  heaven 
given  among  men,  whereby  we  must  be  saved."  And 
you,  brother  in  the  Lord,  seal  all  your  messages  for 
heaven  with  this  name.  It  will  give  wings  to  the 
shortest  prayer  ever  uttered  to  fly  to  God  in  a  moment; 
it  will  be  a  key  in  your  girdle  to  open  the  treasury  of 
grace  ;  a  secret  latch  in  the.  door,  by  which  you  may 
enter  the  inner  pastures  of  communion ;  the  rod  where- 
by you  can  divide  the  waters  of  Jordan ;  and  a  pass 
which  will  hereafter  admit  you  by  the  gates  into  the 
heavenly  Jerusalem.  Oh  then,  use  it  as  your  plea  in 
prayer!  I  believe  if  I  had  God's  great  book  of  remem- 
brance open  before  me,  I  could  point  out  more  success- 
ful prayers,  signed  with  the  name  of  Jesus  as  their  plea, 
than  there  are  sands  on  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic !  0 
sweet  name — 

"  By  thee  my  prayers  acceptance  find, 
Although  with  sin  defiled; 
Satan  accuses  me  in  vain, 
And  I  am  own'd  a  child." 

III.  The  majesty  of  the  name  of  Jesus. 

The  Lord  Jesus  has  been  sitting  for  more  than 
eighteen  hundred  years  where  Stephen  saw  Him — "at 
the  right  hand  of  the  throne  of  God."  He  has  long 
been  crowned  as  the  Almighty  Conqueror  of  Death  and 


THE  NAME  OF  JESUS.  239 

Hell ;  and  for  long  ages  have  all  angels  bowed  before 
His  awful  presence,  and  the  name  He  bears  is  full  of 
majesty.  But  can  mortals  tell  what  name  that  is?  He 
who  only  hath  immortality  hath  revealed  it.  Behold 
the  windows  of  heaven  wide  open  !  a  shaft  of  glory 
shining  down !  a  blinded  persecutor  lying  on  his  face 
beneath !  and  hear  the  voice,  "  Saul,  Saul,  why  perse- 
cutest  thou  me?"  "Who  art  thou,  Lord?"  saith  Saul. 
"I  am  Jesus!"  saith  the  Lord  from  heaven.  Stand 
on  the  shore  of  Patmos.  Hark  to  that  voice  like  the 
judgment  trumpet,  and  hear  the  Lord  of  Glory 
say — "I,  Jesus,  have  sent  mine  angel  to  testify  unto 
you  these  things  in  the  churches ; "  and  know  the 
majesty  of  the  name  of  Jesus  as  borne  by  the  Son 
of  God  in  heaven. 

There  have  been  great  names  in  this  world — names 
that  have  had  a  certain  kind  of  majesty  about  them. 
The  names  of  Alexander,  Csesar,  and  Napoleon  stand 
high ;  but  these  have  little  majesty  about  them  when 
compared  with  such  names  as  Abraham,  David,  and 
Paul.  And  there  are  names  higher  than  these — names 
of  the  principalities  and  powers  in  the  third  heaven — 
such  as  Michael  and  Gabriel.  But  all  these  become  dim 
as  fading  stars  when  this  name  shines  out  as  a  rising 
sun  in  majesty.  For  "He  hath  by  inheritance  obtained 
a  more  excellent  name  than  they;"  and  this  name  "is 
above  every  name,"  "  the  name  of  Jesus  !  "  Just  now 
it  is  morning  with  that  name.  It  hath  not  long  risen ; 
but  it  shall  soon  see  noon,  but  never  night ;  for  its  glory 
shall  increase,  until  it  shines  into  the  darkest  holes  on 


240  THE  NAME  OF  JESUS. 

earth,  and  to  the  furthest  ends  of  creation — till  "at  the 
name  of  Jesus  every  knee  shall  bow;"  and  then  it  shall 
see  its  perfect  day,  and  shine  on  without  a  cloud  through- 
out eternity.  But  when  shall  this  be?  When  the  great 
King  Jesus  comes  to  earth  in  triumph.  He  hath  sent 
us  warning  already — "Behold  he  cometh  with  clouds/' 
Soon  shall  He  rend  the  heavens,  and  come  down  with 
clouds  of  witnesses ;  and  at  the  name  of  Jesus,  shouted 
by  herald  hosts,  all  heaven,  earth,  and  hell  shall  bow 
their  knees,  and  confess  Him  Lord !  Multitudes  shall 
kneel  at  that  name  who  never  knew  Him ;  thousands 
who  lived  before  the  flood,  and  millions  who  have  lived 
since — Egyptians  and  Arabians  ;  Greeks  and  Romans  ; 
Turks  and  Persians  ;  Indians  and  Chinese ;  islands  and 
continents;  generations  and  nations;  mighty  and  count- 
less multitudes  who  have  lived  and  died  as  heathens, 
shall,  at  the  name  of  Jesus,  fall  on  their  faces  to  wor- 
ship in  trembling  and  amazement.  Multitudes  who 
have  heard  that  name,  and  overlooked  it ;  millions  of 
proud  men  and  women  who  never  noticed  it ;  the 
young  and  the  gay ;  the  learned  and  the  polite ;  the 
rich  and  the  great ;  all  alike,  shall  then  bow  their 
knees  at  the  name  of  Jesus !  Multitudes  who  have 
affected  to  despise  it,  shall  bend  before  it — legions  of 
liars,  crowds  of  blasphemers,  and  armies  of  atheists  and 
most  miserable  infidels,  shall  then,  in  shame  and  terror, 
bend  their  knees.  And  multitudes  who  once  pretended 
to  worship  Him,  shall  then  bow  before  Him ;  Romanists, 
priests  and  people,  who  knelt  before  the  host;  Protestant 
formalists,  who  always  bowed  their  heads  in  church  at 


THE  NAME  OF  JESUS.  211 

the  name  of  Jesus  ;  and  millions  of  black  hypocrites, 
shall  in  earnest  bend  their  knees.  Multitudes  who  have 
persecuted  Him — those  who  slandered  and  opposed 
Him,  those  who  smote  and  slew  Him,  and  those  who 
would  have  trodden  Him  down,  and  crushed  Him  out 
of  existence,  had  they  been  able — shall  then  bow 
before  Him  !  For  at  the  name  of  Jesus,  Scribes  and 
Pharisees,  priests  and  elders,  Judas  and  Caiaphas, 
Pilate  and  Herod,  Jews  and  Eomans,  guilty  men  and 
guilty  devils,  yea,  and  the  archangel  of  hell,  great 
Satan  shall  all  together  bend  their  knees!  And 
multitudes  who  have  known  and  loved  Him — patri- 
archs and  prophets,  evangelists  and  apostles,  fathers 
and  reformers,  missionaries  and  martyrs,  saints  and 
seraphs,  angels  and  archangels,  and  all  heaven — shall 
bow  their  knees,  and  every  tongue  confess  that  He 
is  Lord,  "  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father."  Thus  is 
this  name  clothed  upon,  and  crowned  with  majesty. 

IV.  The  preciousness  of  the  name  of  Jesus. 

What  makes  the  memory  of  a  home  we  loved  and 
lost  so  sweet  to  us  ?  What  but  the  hallowed  recollec- 
tions that  cluster  round  it?  And  round  this  name 
evermore  do  cluster  sweet  memories,  endearing  it  to 
pardoned  sinners.  Whisper  that  one  word,  "Jesus," 
and  I  think  of  Bethlehem,  and  Nazareth,  and  Gethse- 
mane,  and  Calvary — and  tears,  and  songs,  and  death, 
and  glory !  Whisper  that  sweet  name,  "Jesus/'  and 
the  faces  of  the  dear  departed  rise  before  me,  and  I 
hear  once  more  the  hymns  we  sung  in  days  gone  by, 
and  the  solemn  voice  of  prayer,  and  I  see  the  light  of 

9 


242  THE  NAME  OE  JESUS. 

former  Sabbaths,  and  stand  with  some  again  who  are 
now  before  the  throne !  Breathe  the  name  of  Jesus, 
and  I  think  of  tears  of  penitence,  and  smiles  of  peace ; 
and  early  love,  and  lonely  meditation ;  and  sorrowful 
wandering,  and  joyful  restoration  ;  and  earnest  labour, 
and  heavenly  communion ;  and  blessed  hopes,  and 
foretastes  of  immortality.  0  sweet  name !  to  me 
thou  art  most  precious.  I  thank  God  for  thee — 
Jesus !  Jesus ! 

Precious  to  me  ?  Why,  is  not  all  my  heaven  hidden 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  ?  Precious  ?  Why,  is  not  this 
my  fountain  from  which  flows  all  my  peace,  and  joy, 
and  comfort  ?  Precious  ?  Why,  are  not  all  my  hopes 
hung  upon  it,  and  is  it  not  the  well  within  me  of  life 
everlasting?  Precious?  So  precious  has  this  name 
been  to  thousands,  that  sooner  than  part  from  it,  they 
have  parted  from  friends,  and  homes,  and  hopes,  and 
the  world,  and  life,  and  all !  So  precious,  that  to  keep 
it  they  have  endured  shame,  and  sorrow,  and  persecu- 
tion, and  torture,  and  death! — and  the  quivering  lip 
has  uttered  it  amid  the  flames — and  the  dying  voice 
has  spoken  it  in  martyrdom  ! 

Years  ago  a  French  soldier  who  loved  Napoleon  was 
undergoing  an  operation,  and  as  the  surgeon  pressed 
the  probe  far  into  his  lungs  to  feel  for  the  bullet  that 
lay  there,  a  ghastly  smile  came  over  his  face, — "A  little 
deeper,"  said  he,  "and  you  will  find  the  Emperor !" 
And  oh  !  I  tell  you,  Christ  has  had  thousands  of  fol- 
lowers, who  have  had  Mis  name  written  in  tlteir  inmost 
hearts,  deeper  than  all  other  names,  and  thoughts,  and 


THE  NAME  OF  JESUS.  243 

memories — deeper  than  life,  and  death,  and  heaven — 
deeper  than  all,  for  ever ! 

Some  time  since,  one  who  counted  the  name  of  Jesus 
most  precious,  lay  on  his  death-bed ;  for  a  while  his 
reason  left  him ;  but  ere  his  departure,  God  restored  it, 
and  allowed  his  friends  who  watched  about  his  bed,  to 
see  the  light  return,  and  the  holy  calm  of  peaceful  con- 
sciousness. One  long-loved  friend  stooped  down  over 
him,  and  said,  "Do  you  remember  me?"  "No,"  said 
the  dying  man ;  he  had  forgotten  him.  His  friend  then 
led  his  child  to  him,  and  lifting  up  the  little  one  beside 
his  father,  said,  "Do  you  remember  this  child?"  "No," 
said  the  dying  man,  turning  slowly  away.  His  wife 
then  came  near,  and  stooping  over  her  dying  husband, 
said,  "  Do  you  remember  me  ? "  "  No,"  said  the  dying 
man.  She  turned  away  and  wept.  His  friend  came 
back  to  him,  and  said,  "You  are  fast  going  now,  tell  us 
before  you  die,  have  you  forgotten  Jesus  ?  Have  you 
forgotten  Jesus?"  The  dying  man  rose  in  the  bed, 
stretched  out  his  arms,  looked  up,  while  his  face  bright- 
ened as  if  light  was  falling  on  it  from  heaven,  and  said, 
"  Oh,  no  ! — Jesus  ! — Jesus ! — into  thine  hands  I  com- 
mend my  spirit!"  and  fell  asleep.  Oh!  blessed  be  God, 
when  all  other  names  are  forgotten  by  us,  this  name 
shaU  be  remembered,  even  in  death! 

"  E'en  then  would  I  Thy  name  confess, 
With  my  last  fleeting  breath ; 
And  dying  clasp  Thee  in  my  arms, 
The  antidote  of  death." 

O  Christian !  never  more  blush  to  own  that  name ! 


244  THE  NAME  OF  JESUS. 

never  more  disgrace  that  name  !  but  evermore  confess 
that  name!  and  evermore  glorify  that  name — the  name 
of  Jesus ! 

0  sinner!  learn  to  know  the  meaning,  and  power, 
and  majesty,  and  preciousness  of  the  name  of  Jesus ; 
then  live  for  it,  and  if  needs  be  die  for  it.  God  grant 
it  for  Jesus'  sake.     Amen,  and  amen. 


SEEMON  XII. 


CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH. 

Phil.  i.  21. 
"  For  to  me  to  live  is  Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain." 

These  are  the  words  of  Paul  the  Apostle,  and  strange 
words  they  seem  at  first  sight.  He  says,  "To  me  to 
live  is  Christ."  This  seems  very  beautiful,  but  very 
hard  to  understand.  What  can  he  mean  ?  I  will  try 
and  give  you  by  an  illustration  what  I  believe  to  be  his 
meaning.  Behold  yonder  flower ;  it  lives  by  means  of 
the  plant  on  which  it  grows;  does  it  not?  Did  not  the 
plant  give  it  birth  ?  and  does  not  the  plant  supply  it 
nourishment?  and  if  you  separate  it  from  the  plant 
will  it  not  die  ?  Now,  consider  it  once  more — it  lives 
for  the  plant  on  which  it  grows;  does  it  not?  Does  it 
not  blossom  into  beauty  that  it  may  adorn  it  as  a  lovely 
ornament,  and  ripen  into  maturity  that  it  may  serve  it 
by  forming  jDrecious  seed?  Just  so  Paul  grew  as  a 
flower  upon  Christ.  He  felt  that  he  lived  by  Christ ; 
and  so  he  determined  to  live  f or  Christ;  and  the  sweet 
meaning   contained  in  this  fragrant   saying   that  he 


246  CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH. 

breathes  out  as  an  offering  to  Jesus,  is  the  thought  of 
life  for  Christ.  "  To  me  to  live  is  Christ,  and  to  die  is 
gain/'  May  God  open  our  hearts  to  receive  the  truth 
as  it  is  in  Jesus.  I  feel  certain  that  if  to  you  "to  live" 
is  not  "Christ/'  and  "to  die,"  "gain,"  then  to  you  "to 
live  "  is  self  and  "  to  die/'  loss.  I  feel  certain  that  a 
life  not  spent  in  the  service  of  Jesus,  is  more  lost  than 
treasure  sunken  in  the  great  deep — is  lost  irrecoverably 
and  eternally — is  not  life,  but  death.  I,  therefore,  be- 
seech you  earnestly  to  consider  your  condition,  and 
compare  it  with  the  apostle's  who  uttered  these  memo- 
rable words,  and  never  to  rest  until  you  can  say  of  a 
truth,  "To  me  to  live  is  Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain." 

In  speaking  from  these  words  I  shall  try  to  shew  you 
several  thoughts  out  of  the  many  which  I  believe  the 
first  part  of  the  verse  contains,  and  then  close  by  mak- 
ing a  few  remarks  on  the  second  part. 

In  the  first  part  of  the  verse  I  find  the  following 
thoughts : — 

I.  Separation  for  Christ    "To  me  to  live  is  Christ/' 
II.  Dedication  to  Christ.     "  To  me  to  live  is  Christ." 

III.  Use  by  Christ.     "  To  me  to  live  is  Christ/' 

IV.  Likeness  to  Christ.     "To  me  to  live  is  Christ/' 
V.  Concealment  in  Christ  "To  me  to  live  is  Christ." 

May  the  Lord  grant  His  blessing  upon  our  meditation. 

I.  Separation  for  Christ 

This  must  have  been  one  of  Paul's  ideas  when  he 
said,  "To  me  to  live  is  Christ."  He  must  have  looked 
around  upon  the  glory  of  the  world  spreading  out  on 
every  side  of  him.     He  must  have  gazed  thoughtfully, 


CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH.  247 

as  its  pomp,  and  power,  and  multitude,  and  brightness, 
and  pride,  and  revelries,  and  lusts,  and  beauties,  and 
smiles,  and  gladness,  passed  in  array  before  him.  He 
must  have  looked  through  and  through  it  all  by  the 
piercing  power  of  spiritual  sight,  and  have  understood 
it  to  be  a  diseased  mass  covered  by  impure,  gaudy  rags, 
and  covering  an  impure,  hollow  heart,  and  have  turned 
away  from  it  to  Christ,  and  said,  "  I  give  it  up  for  ever." 
He  must  have  looked  down  into  the  secrets  of  the  world 
within  him,  and  have  considered  its  thoughts,  and  pas- 
sions, and  dreams,  and  lusts,  and  joys,  and  hopes,  and 
have  understood  it  to  be  a  hot-bed  of  sin,  and  madness, 
and  misery ;  and  have  turned  away  from  it  to  Christ, 
and  said,  "  I  give  it  up  for  ever.  Henceforth,  '  to  me 
to  live  is  Christ.'  " 

He  wished  to  lay  his  flower  in  Christ's  lap ;  and  he 
knew  that  it  must  first  be  gathered ;  that  the  tie  that 
bound  it  to  the  earth  from  which  it  sprung,  and  to  the 
root  on  which  it  grew,  must  first  be  broken  ;  therefore 
he  broke  that  tie,  and  separated  himself  from  the  earth 
around  from  which  he  sprung,  and  from  the  root  beneath 
on  which  he  grew,  and  laid  himself  where  earth  and 
self  could  not  be  laid,  even  in  the  lap  of  Jesus !  What 
had  not  Jesus  given  up  for  him  ?  and  what  would  not 
he  give  up  for  Jesus  ?  Yea,  let  him  strip  himself  of 
friends,  and  home,  and  reputation,  and,  if  needs  be,  of 
life  itself ;  let  him  wander  across  the  world  a  naked 
outcast,  meekly  enduring  its  scorn,  and  hatred,  and 
persecution ;  let  him  stifle  every  rebellious  indwelling 
desire  swelling  up  for  utterance,  and  in  tears  and  silence 


248  CHEISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH. 

daily  offer  himself  a  crucified  sacrifice  to  God ;  and  let 
him  bow  his  head,  at  last,  and  lay  his  gray  hairs  upon 
the  block  of  martyrdom,  and  seal  his  life's  testimony 
with  his  heart's  blood — 'tis  all  for  Christ !  and  Christ 
is  all !  "  To  me  to  live"  is  not  earth  or  self,  but  "Christ/' 
cries  the  blessed  apostle,  and  let  earth  and  self  perish, 
so  Christ  triumphs. 

Now,  have  you  this  spirit  of  separation  for  Christ  ? 
You  have  been  wedded  to  the  world  ;  are  you  now 
divorced  from  it,  and  dead  to  it,  and  married  to  Christ 
instead  ?  You  have  been  the  stronghold  of  self  ;  are 
you  now  emptied  of  it,  and  rid  of  it,  and  filled  with 
Christ  instead  ?  Perhaps  you  are  in  the  dark  about  my 
meaning,  and  wonder  whether  or  not  I  would  have  you 
become  first  a  recluse,  and  next  a  suicide.  I  say,  Yes ! 
become  both,  only  in  the  best  sense.  It  is  evil  alone 
from  which  I  would  have  you  separate  ;  and  if  forsaking 
the  evil  without,  and  slaying  the  evil  within,  is  acting 
the  part  of  the  recluse  and  the  suicide,  then,  by  the  help 
of  God,  act  both  parts,  and  to  you  "  to  live "  shall  be 
"Christ!" 

0  my  friends,  sin,  error,  earth,  and  self,  burden, 
darken,  hinder,  and  destroy  the  soul — the  first  must  be 
washed  away  with  blood,  the  second  driven  away  with 
light,  the  third  cast  to  the  flames,  the  fourth  nailed  to 
the  cross.  Oh,  come  and  be  delivered  from  them  all ! 
Why  not  seek  separation  from  sin  ?  is  it  so  dear  to  you, 
so  sweet  and  precious  to  you,  that  you  cannot  part  with 
it  ?  Do  you  know  what  it  is  you  carry  about  in  your 
bosom  ?    Do  you  know  it  is  the  seed  of  Satan,  that  shall 


CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH.  249 

shortly  break  out  into  the  fruit  of  death  ?  Do  you  know 
it  is  that  black,  spreading,  subtle  thing  that  God  abhors  ? 
So  black,  that  there  is  nothing  blacker ;  so  spreading, 
that  it  has  overgrown  the  world  ;  and  so  subtle,  that  in 
order  to  cleanse  earth  from  it,  God  has  had  to  reverse 
the  course  of  nature — work  a  prolonged  series  of  stu- 
pendous miracles — break  in  sacrifice  a  sinless  heart  of 
untold  worth — empty  upon  generation  after  generation, 
vial  after  vial  of  burning  vengeance,  and  will  have  to 
plunge  into  fire  the  enormous  mass — dissolve  every 
element  touched  by  the  polluting  curse,  and  banish 
every  desire,  and  thought,  and  trace  of  that  which  He 
abhors,  to  hell ! 

And  will  you  refuse  to  seek  separation  from  this  ? 
Know  you  not,  that  if  you  are  not  separated  from  it 
now,  you  never  can  be  ?  that  if  your  business  is  to 
enjoy  it  here,  its  business  shall  be  to  torment  you  here- 
after ?  Know  you  not  that  if  you  are  ever  to  escape 
damnation  you  must  be  separated  from  sin  ;  and  if  you 
must  so  soon  be  separated  from  it,  or  damned,  why  not 
be  separated  from  it  now?  why  not  now  this  year? 
why  not  this  week  ?  why  not  to-day  ?  This  clay  the 
blood  of  Christ  may  wash  away  all  your  sins  for  all 
your  life  that  is  past ;  and  this  day  the  Spirit  of  God 
may  change  your  heart  for  all  your  life,  in  time  and 
eternity  that  is  to  come.  Oh  !  "  turn  ye,  turn  ye,  why 
will  ye  die  V 

Come  then,  dear  brethren,  and  God  help  us  !  Come, 
then,  and  let  us  make  Christ  our  model.  As  He  walks 
through  the  world  with  His  face  straight  for  God's  light, 


250  CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH. 

let  us  walk  just  behind  in  His  shadow,  and  in  His  foot- 
prints, and  imitate  His  ways.,  Whatever  He  takes  up 
and  carries,  let  us  take  up  and  carry,  even  though  it 
should  be  a  cross  !  Whatever  He  rejects  and  casts  away, 
let  us  reject  and  cast  away,  even  though  it  should  be  a 
crown  !  He  will  not  always  carry  crosses  and  reject 
crowns,  neither  shall  we.  As  following  God's  light, 
He  turns  His  back  upon  the  world,  let  us  follow  His 
shadow  and  turn  our  backs  upon  the  world  ;  and  as  He 
at  last  descends  into  the  domain  of  death,  let  us  descend 
after  Him,  desiring  and  fearing  God  alone,  and  pass 
through  that  wall  of  darkness  from  gloom  to  glory ! 

II.  The  next  meaning  which  I  find  treasured  in  these 
words  is,  Dedication  to  Christ :  "  To  me  to  live  is 
Christ." 

If  religion  consisted  only  in  the  crucifixion  of  self, 
why,  Christians  would  be,  of  all  men,  the  most  miser- 
able. But,  blessed  be  God,  it  does  not.  There  is  a  lap 
in  which  the  flower,  torn  from  the  earth,  and  broken 
from  its  root,  is  laid!  Separation  for  Christ  is  not 
the  end  at  which  we  aim,  but  only  the  means  to  the 
end,  and  that  end  is  dedication  to  Christ.  Paul's  desire 
was  this,  to  be  treated  as  a  sacrifice ;  first  to  have  all 
external  and  internal  impurity  removed,  and  then  to  be 
laid  upon  Christ's  altar  and  burned.  His  thought  was, 
"  Let  this  body  that  has  long  served  to  oppose  Him,  and 
this  mind  that  has  long  misunderstood  Him,  and  this 
spirit  that  has  long  hated  Him,  be  laid  together  upon 
the  altar.  There  tie  them  down  by  the  cords  of  love, 
and  kindle  a  fire  about  them.     Body,  mind,  and  spirit, 


CHUISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH.  251 

burn  !  Burn  altogether  !  Burn  brightly !  Burn  up 
high  !  Burn  all  away !  Burn,  until  all  that  can  be 
burned  on  earth  is  burned  ;  until  the  body  is  consumed 
and  only  ashes  left ;  and  then  mind  and  spirit  rise  to  a 
higher  altar,  and  burn  on  that  for  evermore ! 

O  God  !  let  my  life  be  such  !  let  my  life  be  incense, 
mingled  with  yon  fragrant  cloud  that  ascends  before 
Thy  throne  !  While  I  have  a  heart  in  my  bosom,  let 
that  heart  love  Thee !  While  I  have  a  breath  in  my 
body,  let  that  breath  praise  Thee  !  While  I  have  an 
existence  in  Thy  universe,  let  that  existence  glorify 
Thee !  I  am  not  my  own !  Take  me !  I  give  myself 
to  Thee  !  Take  me  !  " To  me  to  live  is  Christ !"  Oh 
take  me,  and  accept  me  "  in  the  Beloved !" 

0  brethren,  it  is  a  blessed  thing  to  live  a  life  of 
dedication  to  Christ.  What  cares  has  such  a  man? 
What  disappointments  trouble  him  ?  What  fears  dis- 
turb him  ?  What  griefs  overwhelm  him  ?  Don't  you 
see  that  he  casts  all  those  where  he  casts  himself,  into 
the  lap  of  Christ.  What  though  his  perplexities  were 
as  intricate  as  the  knots  in  Satan's  net  of  falsehoods — 
He  that  is  unravelling  the  one  will  unravel  the  other ; 
what  though  his  burdens  were  as  weighty  as  the  world — 
He  that  is  carrying  the  one  will  carry  the  other  ;  what 
though  his  persecutions  were  as  hot  as  the  flames  about 
Shadrach  in  the  furnace — He  that  delivered  the  one  will 
deliver  the  other ;  and  as  to  such  a  man  lying  in  the 
hollow  of  Christ's  lap — his  cares  become  Christ's  cares, 
his  persecutions  Christ's  persecutions,  and  his  sorrows 
Christ's  sorrows.     Come  then,  Christian,  and  give  your- 


252  CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH. 

self  to  Christ !  He  has  made  you,  loved  you,  bought 
you,  paid  for  you,  claimed  you,  overcome  you,  renewed 
you,  maintained  you,  and  confessed  you !  Come,  then, 
be  a  new  creature,  with  a  heavenly  inhabitant  in  your 
bosom  ;  let  that  heavenly  inhabitant  act  for  you  as  your 
heart,  think  for  you  as  your  spirit,  support  you  as  your 
life ;  and  let  that  inhabitant  be  Christ !  Then  shall 
Christ  be  "in  you  the  hope  of  glory,"  and  you  "in 
Christ "  the  heir  of  glory. 

My  dear  brethren,  you  are  all  dedicating  yourselves 
in  one  way  or  another.  Some  people  dedicate  their 
lives  to  fashion,  some  to  money,  some  to  pleasure,  some 
to  fame,  some  to  science,  some  to  sin,  and  some  to  Satan  ; 
but  I  believe  that  the  one  end  at  which  they  aim, 
whether  they  dedicate  their  lives  to  fashion,  money, 
j)leasure,  fame,  science,  sin,  or  Satan,  is  self;  and 
those  who  dedicate  themselves  to  themselves  are  miser- 
able idolaters  ;  these  are  they  "  whose  end  is  destruc- 
tion, whose  god  is  their  belly,  whose  glory  is  in  their 
shame,  who  mind  earthly  things  ;"  and  as  sure  as  they 
offer  the  costly  sacrifice  that  God  demands  for  Himself, 
to  the  impure  idol  of  self,  God  shall  sweep  away  both 
idol  and  sacrifice  into  hell.  0  my  friends !  the  kind 
of  payment  you  will  yet  receive  depends  not  upon  the 
amount  of  work  you  perform  in  this  life,  but  upon  the 
person  you  serve.  Serve  mammon,  and  the  wages  are 
eternal  death  ;  serve  God,  and  the  wages  are  eternal 
life.  0  my  friends  !  the  kind  of  harvest  you  will  yet 
reap  depends  not  upon  the  amount  of  seed  you  sow, 
but  upon  the  field  in  which  you  sow.     Sow  to  the 


CHEISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH.  253 

Spirit,  and  you  shall  of  the  Spirit  reap  inexhaustible 
harvests  of  immortality ;  sow  to  the  flesh,  and  you 
shall  of  the  flesh  reajD  deadly  harvests  of  corruption. 
"  Be  not  deceived  ;  God  is  not  mocked  ;  for  whatsoever 
a  man  soweth  that  shall  he  also  reap." 

I  thank  God,  however,  that  many  of  you  are  sacri- 
ficing very  differently  ;  you  have  learned  to  understand 
a  little  of  the  heights  and  depths  of  meaning  in  these 
immortal  words,  "  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  re- 
ceive ;"  and  wThat  you  do  understand  of  their  meaning 
moves  you  to  sacrifice  yourself  cheerfully  upon  the  altar 
of  love  to  God.  0  Christian  !  it  is  more  blessed  to  stive 
than  to  receive.  Christ  has  thought  it,  Christ  has  tried 
it,  Christ  has  proved  it,  and  Christ  has  declared  it.  His 
whole  history  is  a  history  of  self-sacrifice  ;  and  if  ever 
you  desire  to  stand  near  Him  before  the  throne,  you 
must  follow  closely  in  His  footsteps,  along  the  path  of 
humiliation,  and  love,  and  pain,  and  peace,  and  shame, 
and  joy,  and  want,  and  hope,  and  woe,  and  glory. 
Thus  separating  pain  from  sin,  and  mingling  it  with 
love,  you  may  offer  it  with  faith  and  hope  as  a  sweet 
sacrifice  to  God.  If  ye  suffer  from  self,  in  denying  self, 
that  ye  may  sacrifice  self  to  Christ,  happy  are  ye,  "  know- 
ing that  of  the  Lord  ye  shall  receive  the  reward  of  the 
inheritance ;  for  ye  serve  the  Lord  Christ."  If  ye 
suffer  from  the  world  in  denying  self,  that  ye  may 
sacrifice  self  to  Christ,  happy  are  ye,  "  for  the  Spirit  of 
glory  and  of  God  resteth  on  you."  If  ye  suffer  from 
Satan  in  denying  self,  that  ye  may  sacrifice  self  to 
Christ,  happy  are  ye,  "  knowing  that  the  same  afflic- 


2  J  t  CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH. 

tions  are  accomplished  in  your  brethren  that  are  in  the 
world,"  and  that  "  our  light  affliction,  which  is  but  for 
a  moment,  worketh  for  us  a  far  more  exceeding  and 
eternal  weight  of  glory."  Only  let  love  be  the  moving 
principle  ;  only  let  love  prompt  the  thought,  and  kindle 
the  desire,  and  compel  the  will,  and  bind  the  sacrifice, 
and  offer  the  prayer,  and  light  the  flame,  and  scatter 
the  incense,  and  present  the  whole  ;  and  through  Christ 
it  shall  be  acceptable.  Oh,  remember  that  love  is  the 
soul  of  sacrifice  ;  and  that  were  you  without  love  to  offer 
yourself  upon  the  stake  to  God,  your  sacrifice  would  be 
rejected :  whereas  were  you  with  love  to  present  only  a 
cup  of  cold  water  before  God,  3Tour  offering  would  be 
accepted.  "  I  beseech  you,  therefore,  brethren,  by  the 
mercies  of  God,  that  ye  present  your  bodies  (or  your- 
selves) a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  unto  God, 
which  is  your  reasonable  service/'  Why,  dear  brethren, 
life  in  heaven  is  one  great  dedication  to  God  !  There 
God  is  everything,  because  everything  is  for  God.  Oh 
for  this  loving,  unreserved  dedication  of  all  to  Christ ! 
Oh  to  live  alone  for  Him  !  Surely  the  happiest  way 
to  live  on  earth  is  to  grow  up  as  a  pure  white  flower 
beside  Christ's  feet — unnoticed,  perhaps,  and  unknown 
among  men,  but  clear  to  Jesus ;  and  at  last  to  be 
gathered  and  woven  in  His  chaplet  of  everlasting  glory. 
If  I  might  put  a  prayer  into  your  lips  it  should  be 
this — 

"  Great  God ! 
Let  my  whole  life  for  ever  be, 
A  psalm  1  a  psalm  of  praise  to  Thee." 


CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH.  255 

III.  Another  thought  which  I  find  embodied  in  these 
words  is,  Use  by  Christ :  "To  me  to  live  is  Christ." 

If  a  man  wants  to  weave  a  certain  piece  of  cloth,  he 
first  gets  the  material  of  which  he  would  make  it,  and 
next  the  loom  by  which  he  may  make  it,  and  then 
weaves  it  in  the  loom.  So,  when  the  Lord  has  His 
great  purposes  to  accomplish,  He  provides  matter  to 
work  upon,  and  means  to  work  by.  The  great  universe 
all  around  us  is  one  vast  loom,  in  which  there  are  in- 
numerable cords  and  influences  crossing  and  recrossing 
each  other,  by  which  God  is  working  His  wonderful 
designs.  All  along,  from  everlasting  to  everlasting, 
stretches  out  the  endless  plan  of  God.  A  short  time 
since  we  awoke  from  unconsciousness,  and  found  our- 
selves in  the  very  middle  of  this  plan,  forming  part  of 
the  broad  time-web  of  His  purposes.  Now,  as  we  are 
here,  here  we  must  remain,  and  into  this  we  must  be 
woven ;  there  is  no  way  of  escaping  or  stopping ;  on  we 
must  go  from  moment  to  moment ;  on  we  must  go  from 
change  to  change  ;  on  we  must  go  for  ever  and  ever ! 

Now,  the  wonderful  thing  is  this,  that  in  this  great 
loom  of  the  universe,  where  part  is  dead  matter  and 
part  living  spirit,  the  dead  matter  and  the  living  spirit 
are  both  worked  by  Divine  sovereignty,  yet  in  two  dif- 
ferent ways — the  one  being  in  bondage,  and  the  other 
free.  Thou  and  yonder  star  are  both  working  in  this 
loom — it  being  in  bondage,  whereas  thou  art  a  free 
agent.  But  though  thou  art  a  free  agent,  yet  is  God  a 
Sovereign  Ruler,  and  works  thee  according  to  His  own 
will.     These  things  may  seem  to  contradict  each  other, 


256  CHRISTIAN   LIFE  AND  DEATH. 

but  they  only  seem  to  do  so;  for  truth  never  contradicts 
truth.  It  is  easy  for  us  to  prove,  in  many  different 
ways,  that  God  is  a  Sovereign ;  and  it  is  as  easy  for  us 
to  prove,  in  many  ways,  that  thou  art  a  free  agent;  but 
hard  for  us  to  shew  how  these  facts  fit  into  each  other. 
"Well,  now,  as  you  are  a  free  agent,  you  may  work  for 
God  willingly;  at  the  same  time,  as  God  is  a  Sovereign, 
willingly  or  unwillingly  you  must  work ;  and  as  you 
must  be  of  some  use  in  God's  service,  is  it  not  better  to  be 
of  an  honourable  one  than  of  a  dishonourable  one?  and 
if  you  desire  to  be  used  in  an  honourable  way,  what 
way  can  be  more  honourable  than  the  service  of  Christ  ? 
Now  come  the  words  of  Paul,  expressing  an  entire  con- 
secration to  this  most  noble  service  of  Christ — "To  me 
to  live  is  Christ.''  He  seems  to  say,  "I  am  dead  to  the 
world ;  I  am  dead  to  myself ;  I  live  towards  Christ ;  I 
live  for  Christ ;  I  breathe,  and  think,  and  speak,  and 
labour,  and  suffer  alone  for  Christ ;  there  is  no  one 
worth  living  for  but  Christ ;  there  is  no  one  for  whom 
I  now  live  but  Christ ;  and  sooner  than  live  for  any 
other,  I  would  cease  to  live;  and,  if  needs  be,  for  Christ  s 
sake,  I  am  willing  to  cease  to  live,  for  I  only  live  for 
Him."  Oh,  noble  consecration!  Why,  these  words  of 
his,  "To  me  to  live  is  Christ,"'  are  unearthly  words;  no 
angel  in  heaven  could  utter  greater ;  they  are  nothing 
short  of  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Does  any  one  ask  for  an  exposition  of  these  words  ? 
I  point  them  to  the  life  of  Paul  after  his  conversion  to 
God — there  is  an  exposition  of  them — there  is  life  in 
earnest — there   is  life  for  Jesus  ! — there  is   a  man's 


CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH.  257 

strength  and  heart,  and  voice,  and  mind,  and  soul,  and 
years,  and  tears,  and  blood,  used  and  spent  entirely  for 
Christ!  Are  you  following  Paul's  example?  Are  you 
labouring  for  Jesus?  I  am  sure  there  is  work  enough 
to  do,  and  few,  alas  I  able  to  do  it,  and  fewer,  alas  ! 
willing  to  do  it.  Are  there  not  millions  perishing  ir» 
other  lands  for  lack  of  the  knowledge  of  Jesus  ?  Arc- 
there  not  literally  millions  in  your  own  country  perish- 
ing because  they  know  not  Christ?  Are  there  not 
thousands  within  your  reach  in  the  same  miserable 
state  ?  Are  you  not  aware  that  in  all  the  large  mer- 
cantile and  manufacturing  towns  in  your  country,  not 
one-tenth  of  the  population  is  found  upon  the  Sabbath 
even  attending  the  house  of  God?  and  that,  in  the 
more  rural  districts,  the  ignorance  of  the  people  about 
spiritual  things  is  something  appalling,  and  almost  in- 
credible? Are  you  not  aware  that  thousands  and  thou- 
sands of  your  countrymen  are  being  swept  away,  year 
by  year,  off  the  face  of  the  land,  by  the  broad  black 
torrent  of  drunkenness  and  debauchery,  that  rolls  its 
countless  victims,  hour  by  hour,  through  the  gates  of 
death  into  perdition?  Are  you  not  aware  that  there 
are  hundreds  and  hundreds  of  immortal  souls  close 
about  you,  to  which  you  might  find  constant  access,  so 
wrapped  up  in  the  dead  sleep  of  ignorant  indifference, 
as  to  be  unconscious  of  the  fact  of  the  existence  of  God, 
and  careless  about  the  consequences  of  their  sins,  even 
though  threatened  by  their  Maker  with  eternal  tor- 
ments? Oh!  what  are  you  about?  Torments!  tor- 
ments!   hell!    heaven!   judgment!    damnation! — all 

■R 


258  CHRISTIAN  LTFE  AND  DEATH. 

ringing  in  your  ears,  and  you  trifling! — trifling,  and 
talking,  and  dreaming  about  religion,  while  time  is 
slipping  into  eternity,  instead  of  labouring  with  every 
breath  and  power  to  warn  and  rescue  wretched  sinners, 
and  going  about  from  moment  to  moment,  pulling  out 
smoking  brands  from  the  fire  !  Have  you  a  tongue  in 
your  head?  Why  does  not  that  tongue  speak  to  these? 
Where  is  your  religion,  your  compassion,  your  human- 
ity ?  Ah,  alas  !  it  is  shame,  and  selfishness,  and  un- 
belief that  keep  you  silent.  Oh  for  the  love  of  Christ, 
to  unseal  those  long  closed  lips,  that  might  tell  thou- 
sands of  the  Saviour's  dying  agonies  and  all-atoning 
blood !  Speak  !  man  !  woman  !  speak  ! — Go,  speak  to 
God,  your  Saviour ;  tell  Him  how  little  love  you  have 
ever  had  for  Him,  and  how  much  less  for  souls;  go, 
and  in  the  bitterness  of  your  sorrow,  weep  out  your 
prayers  and  penitence  upon  His  feet — weep  there,  and 
cry  day  and  night  for  the  salvation  of  multitudes  around 
you,  and  for  such  a  signal  out-putting  of  the  power  of 
God  on  your  behalf  and  theirs,  that  you  may  be  as  a 
flame  of  fire  in  the  hand  of  the  Lord  in  their  very 
midst,  and  the  means  of  the  eternal  salvation  of  multi- 
tudes. "To  me  to  live  is  Christ" — is  this  .to  be  your 
motto  and  your  life  ?  Ah  !  I  know  it  is  hard  work  ;  I 
know  there  is  suffering  as  well  as  doing  in  it;  I  know 
that  it  is  often  most  painful  work  to  be  used  as  an  in- 
strument in  the  hands  of  Christ  for  the  most  joyful 
work  of  sinners'  conversion  ;  I  know  that  the  plough- 
share wears  away  as  it  opens  the  furrow,  and  the  lamp 
grows  burning  hot  as  it  holds  the  fire,  and  the  back 


CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH.  259 

grows  tired  and  bent  as  it  carries  the  burden.  But 
what  of  that  ?  The  ploughshare  was  made  to  open  the 
furrow,  and  the  lamp  to  hold  the  fire,  and  the  back  to 
bear  the  burden,  and  you  for  the  service  of  Jesus ! 
Work  on,  then,  if  to  you  "to  live  is  Christ."  They 
say  it  is  better  to  wear  out  than  to  rust  out.  Work  on 
until  you  can  work  no  more ;  may  you  have  God's 
help  while  you  labour,  and  God's  reward  when  you  are 
done. 

IV.  Another  meaning  which  I  find  in  these  words  is, 
Likeness  to  Clwist :  "  To  me  to  live  is  Christ." 

When  God  was  about  to  create  man,  He  said,  "  Let 
us  make  man  in  our  image,  after  our  likeness/'  I  do 
not  think  any  one  on  earth  knows  the  full  meaning  of 
these  words,  or  has  the  power  even  to  draw  a  correct 
outline  of  the  mysterious  resemblance  once  existing  be- 
tween man  and  his  Creator.  This  much  I  know,  that 
sin  has  marred  the  image ;  and  if  any  one  chooses  to 
look  at  himself  in  the  glass  of  God's  Word,  he  will 
know  it  too.  Now,  before  Paul  uttered  these  words 
which  seem  to  contain  the  thought,  "  likeness  to  Christ," 
he  was  led  by  the  Lord  to  behold  his  own  deformity, 
and  Christ's  loveliness.  I  do  not  speak,  of  course,  of 
the  outward  appearance — the  hicleousness  of  which  I 
speak  did  not  lie  so  much  in  Paul's  face  as  in  Paul's 
heart ;  and  the  loveliness  did  not  lie  so  much  in  Christ's 
face  as  in  Christ's  heart.  As  to  Paul's  face  and  the 
face  of  Christ,  I  have  no  reason  to  believe  that  the  first 
was  less  attractive,  and  the  last  more  so  than  the  faces 
of  men  in  general.     I  know  that  Christ's  features  bore 


260  CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH. 

"  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh  ;"  and  instead  of  reading 
that  a  halo  of  dory  shone  round  His  head,  or  that  His 
countenance — like  the  dying  Stephen's — wore  the  look 
of  an  angel's,  I  read  that  "many  were  astonished"  at 
Him,  "  His  visage  was  so  marred  more  than  any  man, 
and  His  form  more  than  the  sons  of  men."  I  know 
that  Jesus  now  wears  a  lovely  face  in  His  glory,  and 
chat  Paul  had  actually  "seen  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord;" 
but  whether  he  was  able  to  distinguish  His  features  in 
the  blinding  light  that  shone  around  them,  I  cannot  tell. 
Two  things,  however,  he  did  see — his  own  spiritual  de- 
formity, and  Christ's  spiritual  beauty.  He  saw  them 
in  his  own  history,  and  Christ's ;  he  saw  them  in  his 
own  heart,  and  Christ's ;  and  he  saw  them  in  the  Bible. 
Then  it  was  that  the  longer  he  looked,  the  more  he 
blushed  and  wept  at  his  own  image  reflected  by  it ; 
and  that  the  longer  he  looked,  the  more  he  smiled  and 
rejoiced  as  he  beheld  the  reflection  of  Christ's  face, 
every  moment  deepening  and  brightening  before  him. 
How  could  he  now  but  hate  the  one  and  love  the  other ; 
and  how  could  he  but  long  to  be  transformed  into  the 
likeness  of  this  that  filled  his  soul  with  such  ardent 
admiration  ?  And  God  did  it  for  him  ;  and  as  He  did 
it,  Taul  beheld  himself  changing — changing  gradually 
from  darkness  to  light — but  still  keeping  wonderfully 
the  old  image  too,  until  his  life's  reflection  was  as  hard 
to  make  out  clearly  as  the  strange  mixture  made  by 
two  dissolving  views,  as  the  one  fades  away  behind  the 
other — chano-ino;  until  Christ's  ima&e  was  brought  out 
brighter  and  brighter,  on  to  the  very  end  of  his  earthly 


CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH.  2G1 

experience1,  still  to  the  last  keeping  the  dark  outline  of 
sinful  self  shifting  and  fading  behind  the  growing 
brightness;  and  his  cry  continued  to  be,  "To  me  to 
live  is  Christ !  "  "To  me  to  live  is  Christ!"  until  the 
work  of  grace  was  over,  and  Christ's  image  in  him 
raised  from  the  last  shadow  of  sin,  and  fixed  unfading 
in  its  frame  of  immortality. 

Now,  concerning  our  likeness  to  Christ,  I  think  there 
are  two  things  we  should  seek  to  grow  in — love  and 
knowledge. 

Christ  is  represented  as  "  full  of  grace  and  truth,"  and 
we  are  told  to  "  grow  in  grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of 
our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ/'  Now,  there  are 
some  people  who  fancy  that  man  must  do  almost  every- 
thing in  the  work  of  his  own  sanctification,  and  who 
are  always  harping  upon  those  words,  "  grow  in  grace," 
forgetting  that  grace  is  the  gift  of  God ;  and  there  are 
others  who  imagine  that  man  must  be  almost  passive  in 
the  matter,  who  do  not  know  what  to  make  of  the  text 
at  all — in  fact,  I  have  met  with  some  such  who  have 
told  me  they  could  not  conceive  its  meaning.  Now, 
does  not  Scripture  put  together  these  two  things,  man's 
work  and  God's  work,  in  their  true  relation,  in  these 
words — "  Work  out  your  own  salvation  with  fear  and 
trembling,  for  it  is  God  which  worketh  in  you,  both  to 
will  and  to  do  of  his  good  pleasure."  It  tells  you  to 
work — for  God  works  in  you.  Here  is  the  secret  of 
our  working.  We  have  not  to  create  that  which  is 
good,  but  to  yield  to  that  which  is  good,  and  cleave  to 
that  which  is  good  ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  instead  of 


262  CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH. 

yielding  to  and  cleaving  to  evil,  we  have  to  resist  and  to 
repel  it.  Is  God  working  in  me  ?  Then  let  me  yield 
myself  in  His  hands  to  His  working.  Is  evil  working 
in  me  ?  Then  let  me  oppose  and  overcome  its  working  ; 
and  in  both  yielding  and  resisting  God  is  my  helper. 
And  thus  as  I  grow  older  under  the  reign  of  grace,  I 
shall  grow  brighter  in  the  image  of  grace.  And,  as  a 
child,  I  shall  grow  more  and  more  like  my  Father 
every  day ;  my  eye  fixed  on  His  face,  and  growing  in 
the  knowledge  of  His  features  ;  His  image  graven  in  my 
heart,  and  growing  down  into  my  affections ;  and  His 
likeness  growing  up  out  of  my  heart  and  into  my 
features,  so  that  I  may,  "  with  open  face  beholding  as 
in  a  glass  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  be  changed  into  the 
same  image  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord  \" 

Be  still,  then,  0  my  heart,  be  still !  Let  not  these 
winds  of  trial  and  temptation  stir  thee  into  waves  of 
agitation.  Be  still,  and  the  image  of  the  sun  looking 
down  from  above,  that  thou  holdest  hidden  in  thy 
trembling  embrace,  shall  shine  upon  the  surface,  and 
tremble  and  brighten  there — shall  rise  from  thy  heart 
to  thy  life,  and  men  shall  see  it ;  until,  at  eventide, 
thy  life  shall  shine  as  a  long  path  of  trembling  glory 
stretching  from  earth  to  God  !  0  Christian  !  to  thee 
to  live  is  "  Christ,"  not  self — glory,  not  blackness.  Oh, 
then,  seek  more  and  more  to  be,  by  the  Spirit  of  God, 
conformed  to  the  image  of  God's  Son,  and  you  shall 
yet  "  bear  the  image  of  the  heavenly,"  and  be  "  satisfied  " 
when  you  "  awake  "  with  His  "  likeness." 


CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH.  263 

V.  There  is  one  more  out  of  the  many  thoughts  still 
contained  in  these  words  that  I  should  like  to  mention 
to  you — namely,  Concealment  in  Christ:  "To  me  to 
live  is  Christ." 

Paul  seems  to  say — "  To  me  to  live  is  not  myself — I 
am  nothing  now — but  Christ ;  He  is  all  in  all  with  me. 
Christ  so  lives  in  me,  and  I  so  live  in  Christ,  that  Christ 
is  everything,  and  I  am  nothing."  0  dear  brethren! 
we  are  nothing  out  of  Christ ;  and  when  He  makes  us 
Christians,  He  takes  poor  nothings  into  Himself.  We 
were  naked  before  we  knew  Him,  and  naked  when  He 
took  us  into  His  bosom,  and  our  best  dress  now  is  the 
robe  of  humility  ;  and  as  poor  nothings  "  clothed  with 
humility,"  we  may  rest  in  the  midst  of  His  pure  bright- 
ness, and  there  give  ourselves  up  to  the  love  of  Him 
for  ever. 

Oh,  hallowed,  peaceful,  spiritual,  joyful,  hopeful  rest- 
ing in  Jesus !  This  was  the  blessed  state  of  the  poor, 
persecuted  apostle,  who,  from  the  midst  of  storms, 
and  tears,  and  pains,  and  fears,  and  sorrows,  could  re- 
tire, and  hide  himself  in  Jesus,  and  be  at  rest !  This 
was  the  blessed  state  of  the  poor,  tempted  apostle,  who, 
from  thoughts  of  self,  and  pride,  and  lust,  and  earthly 
longings,  and  the  Evil  One,  could  retire,  and  hide  him- 
self in  Jesus,  and  be  at  rest !  What  was  the  world  to 
him  ?  What  was  the  body  to  him  ?  What  was  Satan 
to  him  ?  What  was  sorrow  to  him  ?  What  was 
life  to  him?  Christ  was  all!  and  all  beside  was 
nothing  !  Oh,  blessed  state  !  Of  whom  does  he  speak 
but  Jesus  \     Of  whom  does  he  think  but  Jesus  ?     Is 


2o'4?  CHEISTIAH  LIFE  AND  DEATH. 

the  thought  of  Jesus  ever  absent  from  his  mind?  Is 
the  name  of  Jesus  ever  off  his  tongue?  By  whom  does 
he  do  anything  but  by  Jesus  ?  For  whom  does  he  do 
anything  but  for  Jesus  ?  What  is  his  own  testimony 
about  it?  If  he  preaches — "We  preach  not  ourselves, 
but  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord!"  If  he  teaches — "I  de- 
termined not  to  know  anything  among  you  but  Jesus 
Christ,  and  him  crucified!"  If  he  suffers — "I  am 
crucified  with  Christ,  nevertheless  I  live,  yet  not  I,  but 
Christ  liveth  in  me ;  and  the  life  which  I  now  live  in 
the  flesh,  I  live  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  who 
loved  me,  and  gave  himself  for  me  ! "  If  he  glories — 
"  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  the  world  is  crucified 
to  me,  and  I  unto  the  world!"  If  he  labours — "The 
love  of  Christ  constraineth  us!"  If  he  triumphs — 
"Who  shall  separate  us  from  the  love  of  Christ  I"  If  he 
longs — "  I  am  in  a  strait  betwixt  two,  having  a  desire 
to  depart  and  be  with  Christ,  which  is  far  better \"  Oh, 
blessed  state  !  Is  not  this  being  lost  in  Christ — as  much 
lost  in  Christ  as  the  star  is  lost  in  light  when  the  sun 
ariseth  !  Oh,  be  this  my  portion  !  Let  me  gaze  upon 
Him  as  upon  the  sun's  brightness,  until  bewildered,  and 
dimmed,  and  concealed  by  His  light  and  glory,  and  then 
let  me  sink  as  a  stream  into  the  mighty  deep  of  His 
infinitude,  and  thus  for  ever  lose  myself  in  Jesus ! 

Before  I  close,  I  wish  to  say  a  few  words  about  the 
second  part  of  my  text — "  And  to  die  is  gain." 

I  remember,  many  years  ago,  being  led  into  a  dark- 
ened chamber  to  behold  the  remains  of  one  whose  spirit 


CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH.  265 

had  passed  into  eternity.  The  quiet  sunshine  streaming 
in  through  the  window-blinds  and  half-elosed  shutters, 
shewed  a  large,  empty  bed,  and  standing  there,  on  this 
side  of  it,  the  coffin.  I  walked  over  towards  it.  There, 
wrapped  in  white,  cold  and  still,  lay  the  body  of  my 
father.  And  as  I  stood  silently  gazing  through  my 
tears  at  the  face  I  once  knew,  but  could  know  no  longer, 
one  standing  by  said — "  A  short  time  since,  as  he  lay 
dying  on  that  bed,  he  said,  '  To  me  to  live  is  Christ,  and 
to  die  is  gain.'"  I  listened,  and  looked  at  the  pale, 
still  features  — could  that  be  gain  ?  I  gazed  at  the 
drawn -down  eye-lids,  and  the  stiff,  white  lips — could 
that  be  gain  ?  I  touched  the  cold  face  with  a  feeling  of 
melancholy  horror — could  that  be  gain  ?  Hours  passed 
away ;  I  was  walking  between  yew  trees  in  a  graveyard, 
following  among  mourners  to  the  tomb.  I  stood;  I 
heard  the  voice  of  prayer;  I  wept;  I  saw  the  coffin 
lowered  slowly  down  into  the  grave;  I  lingered;  the 
tombstone  covered  all  from  view — coidd  that  be  gain  f 
Years  passed  away,  and  I  return  from  other  lands,  and 
sought  once  more  the  graveyard.  Once  again  I  walked 
among  the  yew  trees,  and  stood  beside  the  tombstone; 
and,  looking  down,  read  beneath  the  well-loved  name, 
the  same  sweet,  solemn  words — "  To  me  to  live  is  Christ, 
and  to  die  is  gain."  But  oh,  how  changed  was  every- 
thing! I  no  more  sorrowed,  but  rejoiced;  I  had  the 
witness  then  of  one  within  me,  that  to  him  to  die  was 
gain.  And  methought  I  could  behold  his  spirit  upborne 
upon  the  wings  of  angels  to  the  Lord  of  all!  And 
methought  I  could  hear  sounds  like  a  solemn  swell  of 


266  CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH. 

far-off"  music,  and  many  voices  singing  together  over  his 
emancipated  spirit  entering  into  rest!  And  methought 
I  could  hear  his  voice  mingling  in  the  many-toned 
seraphic  anthem,  that  came  floating  down  to  me  in 
echoes  faint,  and  fainter  still!  And  when  the  last 
echoes  were  gone  away  into  heaven,  I  lifted  up  my  soul, 
and  blessed  God,  and  rejoiced!  Ay,  to  die  was  gain! 
And  in  that  hour  I  vowed  to  give  my  life  to  the  service  of 
God,  and  longed  that  He  might  take  me  to  Himself  for 
ever — for  oh,  to  die  is  gain !     0  brethren!  to  die  is  gain! 

No  more  shall  we  then  behold  the  light  of  day,  or  the 
light  of  summer,  or  the  light  of  life,  ebbing  away  into 
the  gloom  of  evening,  or  the  shadows  of  winter,  or  the 
darkness  of  death;  for  there  one  high,  cloudless  noon 
reigneth  eternally.     Oh,  the  gain  of  dying! 

No  more  shall  we  behold  the  worn  look  of  trial,  or 
the  furrows  of  age,  or  the  pallor  of  sickness,  spreading 
over  the  faces  of  those  we  love ;  for  there  bright  looks 
of  youth  and  joy  abide  for  ever  in  the  countenances  of 
the  redeemed  of  Jesus.     Oh,  the  gain  of  dying ! 

No  more  shall  we  mourn  over  numbers  dear  to  us, 
whose  souls  lie  far  from  God  in  the  gall  of  bitter  alien- 
ation ;  for  there  all  dear  to  us  shall  be  near  to  God,  and 
their  souls  bound  to  Him  with  bonds  of  tender,  and 
strong,  and  unalterable  affection.  Oh,  the  gain  of 
dying! 

No  more  shall  we  mourn  for  millions  of  our  fellow- 
countrymen  sleeping  contentedly  in  the  blackness  of 
superstition,  and  hurrying  unconsciously  on  to  the  re- 
surrection of  damnation ;  no  more  shall  we  mourn  over 


CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH.  2G7 

nations  lying  in  idolatry,  and  long  for  the  rising  of  the 
Sun  of  Righteousness,  and  the  spreading  everywhere  of 
Christ's  salvation ;  for  there  sleep,  and  night,  and  error 
and  superstition,  are  unknown,  and  the  knowledge  of 
Christ  doth  lighten  it,  and  the  glory  of  God,  for  ever 
and  ever!     Oh,  the  gain  of  dying! 

No  more  shall  we  sorrow  over  the  dissensions  in  the 
Church  of  Christ,  and  mourn  because  of  the  pride,  and 
error,  and  coldness,  and  hatred,  that  divide  and  alienate 
those  who  profess  the  love  of  Jesus,  and  harden  and 
embitter  the  hearts  of  Christians,  and  deceive  and  amuse 
the  perishing  multitude,  and  assist  and  rejoice  the  powers 
of  darkness,  and  grieve  and  repulse  the  strivings  of  the 
Spirit,  and  tear  open  afresh  the  wounds  of  Jesus;  for 
there  among  the  millions  gathered  from  all  lands  and 
ages  round  the  Lamb,  love  reigns  triumphant,  and  the 
one  unchanging  spirit  of  affection  keeps  every  heart,  and 
look,  and  voice,  in  everlasting  harmony,  and  spreads 
abroad  the  peace  which  passeth  understanding.  Oh, 
the  gain  of  dying  ! 

No  more  shall  we  have  to  turn  to  that  blessed  book, 
the  Bible,  when  we  wish  to  commune  with  the  spirits 
of  prophets  and  apostles  long  departed,  or  to  sit  at  the 
sacred  feet,  and  listen  to  the  immortal  words  of  the 
ever-living  Jesus;  no  more  shall  we  mourn  because,  as 
we  read  its  pages,  the  darkness  of  spiritual  ignorance 
and  the  coldness  of  spiritual  indifference  so  often  becloud 
and  benumb  our  souls,  and  weigh  us  down  into  unwill- 
ing and  sorrowful  slumberings ;  for  there  shall  we  stand 
amid  the  heavenly  concourse  of  the  redeemed  of  God, 


268  CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH. 

and  commune  with  the  glorified  spirits  of  prophets  and 
apostles  round  the  throne ;  and  there  shall  we  behold 
the  Saviour  of  our  souls,  and  gaze  upon  His  beauty,  and 
speak  to  Him,  and  listen  to  Him,  face  to  face,  and  feel 
our  minds  filling  with  the  light  of  pure  and  perfect 
knowledge,  and  feel  our  souls  swelling  with  emotions  of 
unutterable  affection,  and  forget  the  darkness  and  cold- 
ness of  the  past  in  the  light  and  love  of  immortality ! 
Oh,  the  gain  of  dying! 

No  more  shall  we  mourn  before  God  upon  our  bended 
knees,  because  we  find  it  impossible  to  resist  and  over- 
come the  temptations  that  surround  and  harass  us.  No 
more  shall  we  sorrow  on  account  of  the  depth  and  black- 
ness of  those  fountains  of  indwelling  corruption  that,  in 
spite  of  prayers  and  tears,  flow  over,  day  by  day,  and 
make  us  hateful  to  ourselves.  No  more  shall  we  weep 
in  silence  and  seclusion,  because  we  so  often  find  our 
hearts  hardening,  our  thoughts  wandering,  and  our  de- 
sires dying,  when  we  kneel  before  the  throne  of  grace 
in  the  attitude  of  devotion ;  for  there  the  storms  and 
darkness  of  sin  and  temptation  never  rise,  and  there  the 
cries  of  sorrowful  entreaty  and  weeping  are  heard  no 
more  ;  and  there  sinful  hearts,  and  wandering  thoughts, 
and  earthly  desires,  and  mournful  meditations,  and 
languishing  delights,  and  sickly  gratitude,  and  dying- 
praises,  are  all  unknown ;  and  there  the  wicked  and 
Satan  cease  from  troubling,  and  the  weary  with  Jesus 
are  at  rest !     Oh,  the  gain  of  dying  ! 

No  more  shall  we  mourn,  because  the  cold  hand  of 
death  has  broken  the  tenderest  ties  of  affection,  and 
chilled  the  warmest  hearts  of  sympathy,  and  sealed 


CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH.  2G9 

the  eloquent  lips  of  communion,  and  closed  the  beaming 
eyes  of  love,  and  carried  to  the  dark  and  silent  tomb 
the  remains  of  all  once  so  near  and  dear ;  for  there  dis- 
tance and  death  can  never  separate  between  those  who 
love  and  dwell  in  the  presence  of  Jesus  ;  and  there  the 
dear  ones  buried  here  in  weakness  and  dishonour,  and 
raised  hereafter  in  power  and  glory,  put  off  their  cor- 
ruption for  incorruption,  and  their  mortality  for  im- 
mortality, and  death  is  swallowed  up  in  victory ;  and 
there  all  the  countless  myriads  of  the  saints,  having 
been  upraised  at  the  voice  of  the  archangel  and  the 
shout  of  the  Lord  and  the  trump  of  God,  and  trans- 
ported through  the  clouds  to  heaven,  are  presented 
faultless  amid  the  assembled  angels  before  the  throne 
of  Jehovah,  and  united  for  ever  to  each  other  and  the 
Lord !     Oh,  the  gain  of  dying  ! 

Why,  the  faithful  Christian,  in  the  near  prospect  of 
painful  dissolution  and  joyful  immortality  can  say, 
"  Yea,  though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow 
of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil,  for  thou  art  with  me ! " 
What  though  I  lay  this  body  down  to  die  !  What 
though  I  feel  the  dimness  descend  upon  my  sight,  and 
my  breathing  cease,  and  my  spirit  flutter,  and  my  life 
depart  !  "  When  I  die  it  is  not  I  who  die,  but  my  si7~i 
and  my  misery!"  "I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth !" 
I  know  "  that  He  is  able  to  keep  that  which  I  havo 
committed  unto  him  against  that  day !"  and  I  have  "a 
desire  to  depart,  and  to  be  with  Christ,  which  is  far 
better  !"  "  To  me  to  live  is  Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain  !" 
and  to  God  be  all  the  glory. 

Unconverted  sinner!  one  word  with  thee  before  I 


270  CHRISTIAN  LIFE  AND  DEATH. 

close.  0  thou  who  art  sleeping  in  unhappy  uncon- 
sciousnesss  of  the  great  end  for  which  thou  wert  created, 
and  dreaming  that  the  coloured  vanities  thou  beholdest 
in  thy  sleep  are  realities  which  thou  mayest  grasp  and 
make  thine  own ;  and  seest  not  the  dark  shadow  of  the 
angel  of  death  across  thy  door,  nor  the  red  clouds  of 
judgment,  nor  hell's  blackness,  nor  the  light  of  heaven  ; 
and  knowest  not  that  thy  past  existence  is  lost,  and  thy 
present  wasting,  and  thy  future  in  peril ;  why  dost  thou 
not  dream  the  truth  that  thou  art  almost  damned  ?  0 
awake !  thou  art  undone ;  the  only  One  worth  living 
for  stands,  though  long  rejected  by  thee,  still  waiting 
to  have  mercy  upon  thee  and  lift  thee  up  from  thy  sin 
and  misery,  and  number  thee  among  His  blessed  ser- 
vants, and  consecrate  thee  to  Himself  for  ever !  0 
sleeping,  senseless  sinner!  0  dead,  corrupt  sinner!  0 
dry  bone  lying  in  the  valley !  live  !  The  heavens  are 
no  longer  breathless ;  now  the  winds  of  God,  moving 
among  the  slain,  are  awaking  multitudes.  Is  not  the 
Spirit  of  God  moving  over  thee?  0  awake,  awake! 
and  ere  that  heavenly  One,  still  looking  towards  thee, 
turns  Himself  away,  0  cry  for  mercy,  confess  thy 
misery,  cast  thyself  on  His  compassion,  mourn  thy 
lost  life,  and  consecrate  thy  all  that  now  remains 
to  Him  for  ever.  Here  is  my  message  to  thee — "  God 
so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son, 
that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but 
have  everlasting  life!"  Only  believe  in  Him,  and  to 
thee  "to  live"  shall  be  "Christ,"  and  "to  die"  shall  be 
"gain!" 


SEEMON  XIII. 


THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA. 

John  iv.  26. 
"Jesus  saith  unto  her,  I  that  speak  unto  thee  am  he.'* 

The  history  of  every  man's  life  is  a  history  of  awaken- 
ings from  unconsciousness.  Within  a  quiet  niche  in 
a  dim  cathedral  lies  a  statue  of  marble.  Streaming 
along  the  arches,  and  pouring  down  into  its  lonely  corner, 
come  the  rich  sounds  of  organ  and  voices ;  but  it  hears 
them  not.  Leaning  across  the  lower  gloom  around 
it,  from  some  lofty  window,  lies  a  shaft  of  strangely 
coloured  sunshine  ;  but  it  sees  it  not  The  light  and 
sounds  may  mingle  and  stream  over  it  for  ever,  and  it 
be  none  the  better — it  lies  there  in  the  coldness,  and 
stillness,  and  darkness  of  unconsciousness.  Now,  let 
some  mighty  power  fill  that  form  with  life — give  it 
eyes,  and  ears,  and  brain,  and  heart — lift  it  to  its  feet, 
and  bid  it  look  about  it,  and  straightway  it  hears  the 
solemn  music,  and  sees  the  coloured  sunshine !  It  is 
awake  to  them  now !     But  still  it  is  unconscious  of  all 


272  THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA. 

that  is  going  on  outside  the  building.  Lead  it  to  the 
doorway,  and  it  awakes  to  a  consciousness  of  the  pass- 
ing sights  and  sounds  without ;  it  sees  the  city,  and 
the  multitude,  and  the  daylight,  and  the  heavens.  Now, 
there  are  thousands  and  thousands  in  God's  vast  cathe- 
dral of  the  universe,  who  are  deaf  and  blind  to  the 
melody  and  glory  around  them.  They  live  and  are 
dead.  They  have  only  awoke  to  a  consciousness  of 
natural  things,  not  of  spiritual  They  have  awToke  to  a 
consciousness  of  their  own  existence — of  the  world — of 
the  universe,  but  not  of  God.  The  Bible  is  not,  with 
them,  God's  book ;  the  Sabbath,  God's  day ;  and  the 
universe,  God's  temple.  They  live  in  God,  move  in 
God,  and  have  their  being  in  God,  and  do  not  know 
God.  They  are  as  dead  to  God  as  a  corpse  is  to  the 
light  of  day ;  as  dead  to  God  as  the  worm  is  that  feeds 
upon  the  corpse — so  dead  to  God,  that  numbers  of  them 
have  said,  There  is  no  God. 

Now  God,  in  His  infinite  mercy,  often  wakes  up  such 
people  from  spiritual  death,  to  the  knowledge  of  Christ, 
and  to  immortality.  In  doing  so,  He  often  makes  them 
as  certainly  conscious  of  His  existence  as  they  are  of 
their  own ;  and  sometimes  as  certainly  conscious  of 
heaven  and  hell  as  they  are  of  day  and  night.  As  their 
first  birth  was  an  entrance  into  the  natural  world,  so 
their  second  birth  is  an  entrance  into  the  spiritual  world, 
and  but  a  prelude  to  their  last  birth — the  death-birth, 
which  is  an  entrance  into  the  eternal  world. 

Now,  in  this  great  awakening  midway  between  the 
first  birth  and  the  last,  there  are  two  things  especially 


THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA.  273 

which  God  reveals  to  them.  He  shews  them  themselves, 
and  He  shews  them  Jesus.  It  is  my  object  this  day  to 
point  out  to  you  how  these  two  things  were  revealed  to 
the  woman  of  Samaria,  in  hope  that  the  Lord  may 
reveal  them  to  you  also.  May  my  hope  be  realised ! 
Before  I  proceed  to  do  so,  there  are  just  two  or  three 
observations  I  wish  to  make  on  the  verses  which  intro- 
duce this  wonderful  conversation  between  Christ  and 
the  woman  of  Samaria.  Christ  was  journeying  on  foot 
from  Juclea  to  Galilee.  In  the  fourth  verse  you  read — 
"  He  must  needs  go  through  Samaria."  There  was  a 
"must  needs  be"  for  everything  Christ  did.  As  He 
came  to  do  God's  will,  and  did  it,  everything  He  did 
was  foreordained.  And  if  Christ  has  come  to  any  of 
you  and  washed  your  sins  away,  you  may  depend  upon 
it  there  was  a  "must  needs  be"  for  it.  God's  will  is 
the  secret  of  all  salvation.  Then  we  read,  He  comes  to 
"  a  city  of  Samaria,  which  is  called  Sychar,  near  to  the 
parcel  of  ground  which  Jacob  gave  to  his  son  Joseph. 
Now,  Jacob's  well  was  there.  Jesus,  therefore,  being 
weary  with  His  journey,  sat  thus  on  the  well ;  and  it 
was  about  the  sixth  hour."  Jesus  was  weary  in  His 
work,  not  of  His  work.  His  body  failed,  not  His  spirit. 
These  bodies  of  ours  are  not  meant  to  last  out  much 
longer.  God  help  us  to  get  as  much  work  out  of  them 
for  Christ  as  we  can.  Let  us  labour  to  live,  and  live  to 
labour. 

When  Christ  was  weary  He  rested:  we  read,  He  "sat 
thus  on  the  well"  If  we  rob  ourselves  of  rest,  we  rob 
ourselves  of  power,  and  rob  God  of  service.     Let  us 

S 


274  THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA. 

rest  that  we  may  work,  and  work  that  we  may  rest. 
Christ  "sat  thus  on  the  well;"  not  only  resting  but 
Waiting.  He  waited  there  for  the  Samaritan  woman. 
How  long  Christ  has  had  to  wait  for  some  of  us,  before 
He  had  even  a  word  with  us !  0  unconverted  one  ! 
how  long  has  He  waited  for  thee  ?  When  wilt  thou 
come  to  Him?  We  read  in  the  ninth  verse  that  "the 
Jews  have  no  dealings  with  the  Samaritans.'''  Does 
not  this  shadow  forth  the  alienation  that  separates  thee 
from  God?  God  is  right,  and  thou  art  wrong;  and  so 
thou  hast  no  dealings  with  Him. — Oh,  sin  !  sin  !  But 
though  the  woman  was  an  alien  and  an  outcast,  Christ 
speaks  to  her.  Who  spoke  first  ?  Did  she,  or  did  Christ? 
Christ  did !  0  brethren  !  Christ  is  always  first.  He 
loves  us  before  we  love  Him,  and  speaks  to  us  before 
we  speak  to  Him.  He  anticipates  all  our  prayers  and 
wants.  Blessed  be  God,  we  can  say,  Christ  died  for 
our  salvation  before  we  sinned,  and  prepared  heaven 
for  our  recej^tion  before  we  were  born  ! 

Now,  there  are  two  things  in  this  narrative  which  I 
wish,  during  the  short  time  we  meditate  upon  the  pas- 
sage, to  bring  out  as  plainly  as  I  can.  They  are  these 
— first,  How  Christ  revealed  the  sinner  to  herself ;  and, 
secondly,  How  Christ  revealed  Himself  to  the  sinner. 

I.  How  Christ  revealed  the  sinner  to  herself. 

1.  Now,  picture  the  whole  scene  to  yourself.  There 
stands  the  woman  drawing  water  from  the  well. 
Here  sits  the  Saviour.  Now,  you  may  be  sure  that 
He  knows  quite  well  all  that  is  about  to  happen  ;  that 
He  knows  every  word    that  will    be    spoken  in  the 


THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA.  2?5 

approaching  conversation,  and  every  thought  of  the 
woman's  mind.  And  how  does  He  open  the  conversa- 
tion ?  By  telling  her  who  He  is  ?  No !  By  reproach- 
ing her  for  her  past  life  ?  No !  But  by  asking  for  a 
drink  of  water !  I  do  not  doubt  that  He  was  thirsty 
after  His  long  journey ;  this  much  we  are  told,  that 
He  was  weary  after  it ;  and,  therefore,  His  request  for 
water  was  the  most  natural  one  in  the  world.  Oh, 
with  what  ease  Christ  carries  out  His  purposes  !  Never 
at  a  loss,  never  strained  or  unnatural,  never  unsuccess- 
ful. The  woman  had  no  idea  He  would  speak  to  her, 
much  less  had  she  any  idea  that  He  would  condescend 
to  ask  her  for  anything ;  so  the  first  thing  He  shews 
her  is,  that  she  is  quite  mistaken,  and  that  she  has 
something  to  give  to  Him,  which  He  desires  to  receive 
from  her,  and  asks  from  her:  saith  Christ  to  her, 
"  Give  me  to  drink/'  Sinner,  tell  me,  did  you  never 
know  that  Christ  addresses  these  words  to  you? 
that  He  addresses  these  words  to  you,  because 
you  have  something  to  give  to  Him,  which  He  desires 
to  receive  from  you?  "What!"  you  ask,  "do  you 
mean  to  say  that  I  have  anything  in  my  possession 
that  can  be  of  any  use  to  the  Son  of  God  V  Yes,  I  do ; 
and  to  state  He  asks  you  for  that  very  thing.  Christ's 
spirit  thirsted  for  this  woman's  soul  more  than  His 
body  thirsted  for  water.  And  at  this  moment  He 
thirsts  for  souls  as  much  as  ever ;  He  thirsts  for  thy 
soul  and  mine ;  and  never,  until  He  has  gathered  to- 
gether in  heaven  every  one  of  His  redeemed,  from  the 
greatest  and  first  to  the  least  and  last,  will  His  thirst 


27(3  THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA. 

for  souls  be  "  satisfied."  0  my  fellow  sinner  I  Jesus 
has  long  been  asking  you  for  yourself,  and  you  have 
long  been  refusing  to  give  yourself  to  Him.  Oh,  refuse 
Him  no  more !  Say  to  Him — "  Lord !  Thou  hast  re- 
vealed to  me  something  that  I  knew  not ;  Thou  hast 
shewn  me  that  Thou  thirstest  for  my  soul ;  Lord,  my 
all  is  but  little,  but  my  all  I  give  to  Thee :  only  accept 
my  little  all,  and  I  shall  be  joyful  and  satisfied." 

2.  The  Lord  now  goes  on  to  reveal  to  the  woman 
something  more  about  herself.  Instead  of  lifting  her 
pitcher  to  His  lips  and  giving  Him  the  water  He  asks 
for,  she  has  just  asked  Him — "  How  is  it  that  thou, 
beino-  a  Jew,  askest  drink  from  me  which  am  a  woman 
of  Samaria  ? "  As  if  she  said,  "  Thou  art  a  Jew,  I  am 
a  Samaritan ;  the  Jews  have  no  dealings  whatsoever 
with  the  Samaritans ;  how  is  it  that  you  speak  to  me, 
and  ask  me  to  give  you  water  V*  Then  says  Jesus,  "If 
thou  knewest  the  gift  of  God,  and  who  it  is  that  saith 
to  thee,  Give  me  to  drink,  thou  wouldest  have  asked  of 
Him,  and  He  would  have  given  thee  living  water."  As 
if  He  said — "  You  do  not  know  the  gift  of  God — you 
do  not  know  who  it  is  that  speaks  to  you  ;  if  you  did — if 
you  only  knew  the  gift  of  God,  and  who  it  is  that  speaks 
to  you — you  would  ask  Him  who  speaks  to  you  for  that 
gift  of  God,  and  He  would  not  treat  you  as  you  have 
treated  Him,  but  He  would  give  you  that  living  water ! " 

Instead  of  His  asking  water  from  her,  she  ought  to 
have  asked  water  from  Him.  Instead  of  her  question- 
ing His  actions,  He  ought  to  have  questioned  hers. 
But  that  He  may  save  her  soul,  He  condescends  to  set 


THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA.  277 

her  the  example  of  asking,  and  goes  on  at  once  to 
teach  her  the  truth,  without  even  stopping  to  take 
notice  of  her  objection.  What  He  now  reveals  to  her 
is  her  ignorance  and  need.  He  tells  her  that  she  knows 
not  God's  gift.  What  gift?  Why,  surely  she  knew 
many  of  the  gifts  of  God — her  life,  health,  daily  sup- 
port, nightly  rest — were  not  all  these  gifts  of  God? 
Knew  not  God's  gift !  What  did  he  mean  to  say  ?  He 
meant  to  say  to  her  just  what  He  says  to  you,  0  sinner ; 
you  know  not  "  the  gift  of  God."  There  is  a  gift,  out 
of  which  all  the  blessings  you  have  ever  enjoyed 
have  flowed,  as  out  of  a  living  spring ;  there  is  a  gift 
in  which  all  the  blessings  you  will  ever  need  are 
lying  treasured  up,  as  in  an  everlasting  spring ;  there 
is  a  gift  that  you  could  neither  earn  by  labour,  nor  j3ur- 
chase  by  money — a  gift  that  is  above  all  others — "  the 
gift  of  God  " — a  gift  more  precious  than  heaven — a  gift 
of  infinite  value — a  gift  worthy  of  God ;  and  you  know 
it  not !  Do  you  ask  what  this  gift  is  ?  I  answer,  It  is 
that  great  Treasury  of  grace  and  glory,  Christ  himself ! 
"  What  I  "  you  say,  "  do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  God 
has  given  Christ  to  me  V  I  mean  to  say  just  what 
Jesus  says,  that  you  have  the  greatest  gift  that  ever 
was  for  the  asking.  If  you  only  knew  Christ,  the  gift 
of  God,  then  would  you  say  to  Christ — "  Give  me  to 
drink  ; "  and  He  would  give  you  living  water. 

If  you  only  knew  the  fountain  near  you,  you  would 
go  to  it,  and  find  all  you  want — living  water.  Oh 
that  you  knew  how  near  salvation  is  to  you  !  Did  this 
statement  never  strike  you  ? — "  God  so  loved  the  world, 


278  THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA. 

that  he  gave  his  only-begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  be- 
lieveth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting 
life."  "Whosoever!"  "whosoever!"  Is  not  this  your 
name  ?  Oh,  if  you  but  knew  !  if  you  but  knew ! 
Alas!  you  know  not  Christ.  '*But  how  can  I  know 
Him  since  He  has  never  appeared  to  me?"  you  ask. 
Sinner,  He  it  is  that  speaks  to  you!  He  it  is  that 
speaks  to  you  !  Do  you  doubt  it  ?  Eemember,  I  be- 
seech you,  that  Christ  accused  the  woman  of  ignorance 
on  this  very  point.  He  says  that  if  she  had  known 
who  it  was  that  addressed  her,  she  would  have  prayed 
to  Him  for  living  water.  Do  you  ask — "How  can 
Christ  speak  to  me,  and  I  not  know  it  ?  "  Now,  listen 
to  me  ;  how  is  it  I  speak  to  you  ?  Does  not  the  "  I " 
within  this  body  of  mine,  the  "I"  that  thinks  these 
thoughts,  and  longs  after  your  salvation  ;  does  not  this 
"  I "  communicate  its  thoughts  to  you  by  means  of  this 
tongue  and  these  lips  ?  When  you  hear  the  sound  of 
my  voice  you  do  not  say — "  Oh,  it  is  only  a  tongue  and 
lips  of  flesh  making  some  sounds  or  other  of  their 
own  !  "  but  you  listen  as  if  you  believed  a  spirit  inside 
was  moving  them  at  will,  and  making  them  utter  its 
thoughts.  Now,  mark !  The  Lord  Jesus  is  not  only 
in  heaven — He  is  on  earth  beside.  He  is  here  at  this 
moment.  He  is  here  as  a  spiritual  Being,  and  is  speak- 
ing to  you.  Just  as  my  spirit  speaks  to  you  by  a  mate- 
rial tongue  and  lips,  so  He  speaks  to  you  by  a  material 
tongue  and  lips.  Here  is  His  tongue — the  Bible  !  and 
if  I  am  His  servant,  and  utter  the  truth  in  love,  He  it 
is  that  speaketh  by  these  lips.     Oh,  then,  listen  not  to 


THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA.  279 

these  solemn  utterances  of  eternal  truth,  as  if  this 
tongue  and  these  lips  spake  of  themselves ;  oh !  no 
more,  when  listening  to  the  sacred  truth  of  God  read 
or  preached  to  you  in  public,  imagine  that  you  hear  the 
word  of  man  :  it  is  the  word  of  Christ ;  and,  therefore, 
Christ  speaking  to  you.  And  now,  my  unconverted 
brother  or  sister,  say,  Do  you  not  awake  to  the  con- 
sciousness of  your  past  ignorance  ?  Will  you  confess 
that  you  have  never  known  "  the  gift  of  God,"  though 
it  has  long  lain  before  you,  or  the  messenger  of  God, 
though  He  has  long  spoken  to  you?  Whether  you 
understand  and  confess  it  or  no,  your  conduct  proves  it 
to  be  true  ;  for  had  you  known  that  Jesus  came  to  you 
as  God's  gift,  and  addressed  you,  you  would,  urged  by 
your  need,  have  asked  of  Him,  and  have  received,  by 
this  time,  the  "  living  water/'  0  sinner !  if  thou  re- 
mainest  much  longer  in  the  darkness  of  this  foul  grave 
of  spiritual  death,  wrapped  in  this  mournful  winding- 
sheet  of  unconsciousness,  those  who  love  thine  everlast- 
ing interests  will  have  to  lament  over  thy  poor  soul,  as 
Christ  did  over  the  doomed  Jerusalem,  and  cry — "  If 
thou  hadst  known,  even  thou,  at  least  in  this  thy  day, 
the  things  that  belong  to  thy  peace  ;  but  now  they  are 
hid  from  thine  eyes."  Kef  use  to  acknowledge  that 
Christ  speaks  now  personally  to  you  by  this  very  chap- 
ter, and  gospel,  and  Bible,  and  wonder  not  if,  at  the 
last  day,  Christ  answers  your  cry  for  mercy  by  saying 
— "  I  know  you  not." 

3.  And  now  that  Christ  has  told  her  something  of 
her  ignorance  and  need,  and  of  His  willingness  to  supply 


280  THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA. 

her  wants,  what  answer  does  she  make  Him  ?  Does  she 
say — "  Lord,  give  me  this  living  water  ? "  Ah,  no  ;  she 
does  not  know  what  Christ  means  yet;  her  ideas  of 
His  meaning  are  all  carnal  ideas ;  and  she  says  to  Him, 
"  Sir,  thou  hast  nothing  to  draw  with,  and  the  well  is 
deep  :  from  whence  then  hast  thou  that  living  water  ? 
Art  thou  greater  than  our  father  Jacob,  which  gave  us 
the  well,  and  drank  thereof  himself,  and  his  children, 
and  his  cattle  V* 

Alas !  for  the  low  earthliness  of  her  thoughts.  He 
spoke  about  water  for  the  soul,  she  thought  about  water 
for  the  body.  He  spoke  about  living  water,  she  thought 
about  lifeless  water.  He  spoke  about  the  gift  of  God, 
she  thought  about  the  gift  of  Jacob.  She  wondered 
where  He  got  this  water  from,  seeing  He  had  nothing 
to  draw  with,  and  the  well  was  deep !  And  she  asks 
God  manifest  in  the  flesh,  if  He  is  greater  than  Jacob  ? 
0  my  unconverted  friends — yea,  all  of  you,  does  not 
Scripture  reveal  to  you  here  the  earthliness  of  your 
thoughts  about  spiritual  things  ?  Don't  you  see  that 
the  ideas  of  unconverted  sinners  about  the  things  of 
God  are  altogether  carnal  ?  Is  it  not  written,  "  The  god 
of  this  world  (that  is  Satan)  hath  blinded  the  eyes  of 
them  which  believe  not,  lest  the  light  of  the  glorious 
gospel  of  Christ,  who  is  the  image  of  God,  should  shine 
unto  them?"  Talk  to  a  wretchedly  ignorant  savage 
about  the  wise  laws,  and  refined  manners,  and  noble 
arts  and  sciences  of  civilised  society,  and  he  shall  form 
a  far  clearer  idea  of  your  meaning  than  the  wisest  and 
most  intelligent  of  unconverted  men  can  form  about  the 


THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA.  231 

simplest  and  lowest  of  the  spiritual  "things  of  God." 
Oh,  their  fleshly  notions  of  Christ !  Oh,  their  contemp- 
tible notions  of  the  Cross  !  Oh,  their  earthly  notions  of 
heaven  !  Oh,  their  carnal  notions  of  God !  How  can  a 
man  see  natural  things  without  natural  licht  ?  and  how 
can  a  man  see  spiritual  things  without  spiritual  light  ? 
So,  until  God  "hath  sinned  in  our  hearts"  we  are  in 
utter  spiritual  darkness ;  yea,  the  noblest  thoughts  we 
have  on  spiritual  things  are  but  thoughts  of  darkness  ; 
and  "  if  the  light  which  is  in  us  be  darkness,  how  great 
is  that  darkness !"  "  How  can  God  condemn  me  then  V 
says  some  hardened  sinner.  "  How  can  God  condemn 
me  for  not  seeing  and  believing,  when  I  have  no  light 
at  all?"  Hear  the  Word  of  the  Lord  !  "This  is  the 
condemnation,  that  light  is  come  into  the  world,  and 
men  loved  darkness  rather  than  light,  because  their 
deeds  were  evil."  Light  is  come  into  the  world,  that 
light  shines  everywhere  around  you ;  but  you  love  the 
darkness  better ;  and  if  ever  only  the  least  glimmer  of 
that  light  comes  streaming  through  some  chink  in  the 
closed  shutters  of  your  mind,  into  the  lonely,  dark, 
almost  forgotten  chamber  of  your  soul,  you  shrink 
away  from  the  impurities  it  reveals,  and  shut  out  the 
glimmer  of  truth  with  a  feeling  of  fear  and  hatred. 
You  may  find  it  hard  to  believe  that  you  "  love  dark- 
ness ;"  you  may  secretly  reject  the  thought,  and  turn 
away  from  it  as  from  something  unpleasant  to  the  eye : 
you  may  go  further,  and  openly  deny  it,  and  say  you 
would  not  read  your  Bible,  and  go  to  the  house  of  God, 
if  you  hated  the  light.    But,  "  let  God  be  true  and  every 


282  THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA. 

man  a  liar."  If  you  are  still  unconverted,  the  stronger 
the  light  of  spiritual  truth,  the  more  you  hate  it — yea, 
the  strongest  light  that  shines  you  hate  the  most ;  for 
"  God  is  light : "  and  your  "  carnal  mind  is  enmity 
against  God  ;"  and  the  cause  of  this  enmity  is  not  to  be 
found  in  the  light,  or  in  God,  but  evermore  alone  in  you. 
Why  do  you  love  darkness?  "Your  deeds  are  evil!" 
Why  are  you  at  enmity  against  God  ?  Your  mind  "  is 
not  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed  can  be  !" 
So  that  if  you  keep  that  carnal  mind  for  ever,  you  will 
be  at  enmity  with  God  for  ever !  Do  you  ask,  "  How 
am  I  to  get  rid  of  it?"  I  answer  in  a  word,  "You 
must  be  born  again;"  and,  "being  justified  by  faith," 
you  shall  have  "peace  with  God,  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ!" 

4.  If  Christ's  object  had  been  to  glorify  Himself  in 
the  woman's  eyes,  He  might  have  told  her  that  He  was 
not  only  greater  than  Jacob,  but  the  King  of  glory. 
But  He  is  silent  about  all  that,  and  seeks  only  to  do  the 
will  of  God  in  saving  her  perishing  soul.  He  answers — 
"  Whosoever  drinketh  of  this  water  shall  thirst  again  : 
but  whosoever  drinketh  of  the  water  that  I  shall  give 
him  shall  never  thirst :  but  the  water  that  I  shall  give 
him  shall  be  in  him  a  well  of  water,  springing  up  into 
everlasting  life."  Does  He  not  seem  to  say  to  her, 
"  Woman,  your  thoughts  are  only  about  that  which 
cannot  really  satisfy.  Here  you  come  to  this  well,  and 
draw  water  from  it,  and  carry  it  into  the  city ;  and 
every  day  your  thirst  returns  to  you,  and  obliges  you 
every  day  to  return  to  the  well.     You  labour  for  that 


THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA.  283 

which  satisfieth  not."  Is  not  this  just  the  history  of 
all  the  worldlings,  and  pleasure-hunters,  and  formal- 
ists, and  dead  professors  in  the  land  ?  Don't  they  labour 
for  that  which  satisfieth  not  ?  Don't  they  draw  unsatis- 
fying pleasures,  and  fictitious  treasures,  and  delusive 
joys,  and  vain  hopes,  from  their  wells  of  carnality  every 
day  in  the  year,  from  January  to  December  ?  Oh  !  who 
that  is  fevered  with  thirst  can  be  satisfied  with  gall  or 
dust?  or  what  wretched  castaway,  drifting  upon  the 
waves,  and  dying  of  drought,  can  be  satisfied  with  bitter 
draughts  of  the  salt  sea  around  him  ?  Will  not  the  salt 
sea,  instead  of  quenching  his  hot  thirst,  make  it  burn 
the  fiercer?  So  with  every  profit,  and  pleasure,  and 
pursuit,  and  possession  of  this  unsatisfying  world! 
Give  me  what  you  will,  if  you  give  me  not  "  the  gift  of 
God/'  you  leave  me  in  my  misery.  Ah !  you  poor,  un- 
happy, moral  man !  don't  you  labour  ?  Every  day  of 
your  life  !  And  are  you  satisfied  ?  Alas,  no  !  And 
how  can  anything  you  do,  or  all  you  do  put  together, 
satisfy  you  ?  You  rise  in  the  morning,  and  dress,  and 
eat  your  breakfast,  and  can  that  satisfy  you  ?  No ! 
you  go  through  a  form  of  prayer,  and  read  a  chapter 
i.i  the  Bible,  can  that  satisfy  you?  No!  You  go 
through  the  duties  or  pleasures  of  the  day,  and  can 
that  satisfy  you  ?  No !  You  think  a  little  over  the 
past,  and  plan  a  little  for  the  present,  and  hope  a  little 
for  the  future,  and  can  that  satisfy  you  ?  No  !  You 
go  on  Sunday  to  the  place  of  worship,  and  listen  to  the 
hymns,  and  prayers,  and  sermon,  and  then  come  home 
again,  and  can  that  satisfy  you?     No!     And  what 


£34  THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA. 

wonder  ?  As  to  your  world,  it  is  a  broken  cistern ; 
and  as  to  your  religion  it  is  an  empty  well.  What 
good  can  the  Bible  do  you,  when  it  is  as  distasteful  to 
you  as  the  food  the  sick  man  loathes  and  rejects  ? 
What  good  can  that  religion  do  you  which  is  only  a 
round  of  carnal  observances?  You  may  walk  your 
body  to  a  church,  and  bend  your  body  in  the  attitude 
of  devotion  ;  but  will  that  do  for  worship  ?  You  may 
turn  your  attention  to  the  Bible,  and  think  awhile 
about  religion,  but  will  that  do  for  worship  ?  What 
is  there  truly  spiritual  about  all  this  ?  Oh,  believe  me, 
the  change  you  want  is  change  of  heart.  If  there 's  no 
heart  in  your  religion  there 's  no  life,  and  if  there 's  no 
life  in  it,  'tis  no  better  than  a  corpse — cold,  unfeeling 
dust !  Ah !  what  you  want  is  this — a  fresh,  living, 
overflowing,  unfailing  spring — not  without  you,  but 
within  you ;  and  'tis  this  that  Jesus  offers !  "  The 
water,"  says  He,  "  that  I  shall  give  him,  shall  be  in  him 
a  well  of  water  springing  up  into  everlasting  life !" 

5.  And  now  the  woman  answers,  and  asks  for  that 
of  which  He  spoke — "  Sir/'  she  says,  "  give  me  this 
water  ! "  Surely  now  she  is  praying  really,  and  pray- 
ing for  the  right  thing  !  She  hears  Him  say,  that  if 
she  only  drinks  of  this  living  water,  she  will  have  ever- 
lasting life !  What  ?  Everlasting  life  ?  "  Sir,"  she 
cries,  "give  me  this  water."  Does  she  add,  "that  I 
may  have  this  everlasting  life?"  Alas,  no!  but 
"that  I  thirst  not,  neither  come  hither  to  draw!" 
What  a  motive!  "that  I  thirst  not;"  of  course  she 


THE  WOMAN  OP  SAMARIA.  285 

means  carnally,   for  she  adds  immediately — "neither 
come  hither  to  draw." 

What  a  revelation  we  have  here  of  the  woman's 
thoughts.  We  might  have  supposed  that  all  was  well, 
hearing  her  ask  for  the  gift  Christ  spoke  of  ;  but  in  the 
next  breath  she  undeceives  us,  and  shews  us  that  she  is 
thinking  more  about  bodily  thirst  and  temporal  labour, 
than  about  spiritual  thirst  and  eternal  rest.  Now, 
what  has  all  this  to  do  with  us  ?  Surely  we  who  read 
the  Bible,  and  attend  the  house  of  God,  are  constantly 
thinking  about  spiritual  things  and  eternal  life — are 
we  not?  Ah,  my  friends,  you  may,  for  all  that,  be 
seeking  spiritual  blessings  from  carnal  motives !  I 
know  that  earth  is  mixed  up  with  spirit  in  the  good 
desires  of  the  very  best  below ;  but  as  to  the  motives 
of  the  unconverted  in  seeking  spiritual  blessings,  they 
are  only  and  altogether  carnal.  Their  motive  is  the 
lust  of  earth  and  self,  not  the  love  of  heaven  and  God. 
The  one  thought  that  lies  at  the  bottom  of  their  actions, 
and  in  the  middle  of  their  hearts,  is  self.  Often  have 
I  heard  them  say,  "  Oh,  I  wish  I  was  in  heaven ;" 
and  I  am  sure  with  them  it  was  anything  but  a 
heavenly  wish  ;  I  am  sure  it  was  nine  times  out  of  ten 
just  as  heavenly  as  saying — "  Oh,  I  wish  I  was  dead." 
There  is  no  such  thing  as  a  selfish  sacrifice,  and  as  their 
religion  is  selfishness,  it  is  a  religion  without  sacrifice, 
and  no  religion  at  all ;  and  yet,  what  will  they  not  do  and 
suffer  ?  Look  at  Pagan  devotees  !  Look  at  Popish  de- 
votees !  Look  at  Protestant  devotees !  Alas !  for 
selfish  alms,  and    selfish   prayers,   and   selfish   tears ! 


286  THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA. 

Are  these  acceptable  to  God  ?  are  these  like  the  alms, 
and  prayers,  and  tears  of  Jesus?  Oh,  it  is  not  the 
world  alone  that  wears  the  shining  mask  of  deceit !  It 
is  not  the  world  alone  whose  profession  is  a  falsehood, 
and  whose  life  is  a  lie  !  Look  round  upon  your  pro- 
fessedly moral  Christian  congregations.  Look  round 
upon  your  professedly  immaculate  heavenly-minded 
ministers  !  Look  round  upon  your  solemn  masks,  and 
artificial  flowers,  and  hollow  bubbles  !  Look  round  upon 
your  theatrical  puppets,  and  painted  corpses,  and  whited 
sepulchres  !  Ay !  look  underneath  at  the  father  of  ail 
deceit,  at  the  liar  from  the  beginning  !  Oh,  what  shall 
I  say?  Oh,  those  three  lies  unparalleled — the  heart, 
the  world,  the  devil !  Oh,  where  are  the  sincere  ? 
Blessed  be  the  Lord  of  truth,  "  The  foundation  of  God 
standeth  sure,  having  this  seal,  the  Lord  knoweth  them 
that  are  His  V  Ay  !  the  Lord  knoweth  them,  whether 
we  know  them  or  no  ;  and  the  time  of  darkness  and 
deception  is  short,  and  the  day  of  light,  and  revelation, 
and  judgment  is  at  hand ;  therefore,  "  let  every  one 
that  nameth  the  name  of  Christ  depart  from  iniquity/' 
Oh,  beware  lest  thy  motive  in  following  Jesus  be  a  selfish 
one  !  Oh,  remember  that  God  judges  by  the  heart,  not 
by  the  face !  and  oh,  ponder  the  words  of  Jesus,  "  If 
any  man  will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself,  and 
take  up  his  cross  and  follow  me ;  for  whosoever  will 
save  his  life  shall  lose  it ;  and  whosoever  will  lose  his 
life  for  my  sake  shall  find  it/' 

6.  The  next  thing  that  Christ  reveals  to  the  woman 
about  herself  is  this :  that  she  had  been,  and  still  was, 


THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA.  287 

a  great  sinner ;  and  He  does  this  in  the  most  direct, 
yet  delicate  way.  Says  Christ — "  Go  call  thy  husband, 
and  come  hither."  She  tries  by  her  answer  to  conceal 
her  sin,  but,  in  doing  so,  unwittingly  condemns  herself. 
She  says — "I  have  no  husband."  Then  Christ,  in  a 
single  sentence,  uncovers  her  whole  life  before  her  ;  and 
yet  does  it  in  such  a  plain,  and  pure,  and  coinpass'onate 
way,  as  not  to  provoke  denial,  or  evil  thoughts,  or 
anger.  He  says — "  Thou  hast  well  said,  I  have  no 
husband :  for  thou  hast  had  five  husbands  ;  and  he 
whom  thou  now  hast  is  not  thy  husband :  in  that  thou 
saidst  truly."  Oh,  the  wisdom,  and  purity,  and  kind- 
ness of  Jesus !  how  they  shine  in  these  words !  Blessed, 
blessed  Son  of  God  !  He  knows  that  she  has  been 
guilty,  but  He  does  not  call  her  an  adulteress  ;  but  He 
plainly  and  purely  states  the  truth ;  and  then  kindly 
dwells  on  the  best  thing,  not  on  the  worst ;  beginning 
by  saying,  "  Thou  hast  well  said,"  and  ending  by  say- 
ing, "  in  that  thou  saidst  truly/'  Thus,  with  a  strong 
but  tender  hand,  He  lays  the  burden  of  her  sin  upon 
her  conscience,  that,  becoming  weary  and  "  heavy-laden," 
she  may  come  to  Him  for  rest. 

0  thou  unhappy  one !  dost  thou  not  hear  the  Son 
of  God  speaking  to  thee  ?  Does  He  not  tell  thee  that 
thou  hast  been,  and  that  thou  still  art,  a  great  sinner  ? 
Does  He  not  say  that  thou  hast  had  many  husbands, 
and  that  he  whom  thou  now  hast  is  not  thy  husband  ? 
And  wilt  thou  act  worse  than  the  poor  Samaritan,  by 
denying  thy  sin  ?  Hast  thou  not  long  laid  thy  guilty 
head  upon  the  polluted  bosom  of  the  world?     Hast 


288  THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA. 

thou  not  been  married  to  many  idols  ?  Art  thou  not 
still  living,  to  this  day,  in  spiritual  adultery?  Dost 
thou  not  feel,  bitterly  feel,  that  "thy  Maker"  is  not 
"thy  Husband,"  and  that  thou  hast  truly  "no  hus- 
band ? "  And  wilt  thou  not  confess  that  thou  art  poor, 
and  fallen,  and  wretched,  and  that  thou  dost  deserve 
nought  but  the  wrath  of  God  for  ever  ?  Oh  !  does  all 
this  burden  and  weigh  thee  down  to  the  dust  ?  Does 
it  ?  It  does — then  there  is  hope.  I  hear  the  Saviour 
calling  thee !  "  Come  unto  me,"  He  cries,  "  all  ye  that 
labour  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest ! " 
Ah  !  some  of  you  will  come,  blessed  be  God  !  and  some 
of  you  are  coming.  You  kneel  and  weep  before  the 
cross,  while  angels  rejoice  around  you!  But,  alas! 
some  of  you  move  not.  You  listen,  like  the  Samaritan 
woman,  and  wonder  at  what  you  hear,  and  pained  for 
a  moment  with  the  weak  convictions  which  stru^sde 
within,  you  wickedly  stifle  them,  and  then  turn  aside 
the  conversation  to  the  subject  of  religion  in  general, 
while  you  are  perishing  in  particular  !  Oh,  how  easy 
and  pleasant  it  is  to  talk  about  religion  in  general ;  to 
talk  about  men's  differences  of  opinion  upon  the  sub- 
ject ;  to  talk  about  the  place  of  worship,  and  the  form 
of  worship ;  and  to  forget  that  God  is  a  Spirit,  and 
that  God  can  be  worshipped  anywhere  and  everywhere, 
and  that  you  don't  worship  Him  at  all,  and  that  there  is 
but  a  step  between  you  and  perdition  !  Listen,  for  a 
moment,  to  this  poor  sinner.  "  Sir,"  she  says  to  Jesus, 
"  I  perceive  that  thou  art  a  prophet.  Our  fathers  wor- 
shipped in  this  mountain,  and  ye  say  that  in  Jerusalem 


THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA.  289 

is  the  place  where  men  ought  to  worship."  Now,  mart 
Christ's  answer.  "  Woman,  believe  me,  the  hour  cometh 
when  ye  shall  neither  in  this  mountain,  nor  yet  at  Jeru- 
salem, worship  the  Father."  Go  on  to  the  twenty-third 
verse — "  The  hour  cometh,  and  now  is,  when  the  true 
worshippers  shall  worship  the  Father  in  spirit  and  in 
truth :  for  the  Father  seeketh  such  to  worship  him. 
God  is  a  Spirit,  and  they  that  worship  him,  must  wor- 
ship him  in  spirit  and  in  truth."  Oh,  how  these  words 
rebuke  all  those  who  refuse  to  worship  God  with  their 
fellow-sinners,  except  in  what  they  call  consecrated 
churches !  Do  they  answer  me,  that  the  hour  is  coming 
soon  of  which  Christ  spake,  when  they  shall  no  more 
refuse  to  worship  God  in  public,  in  any  buildings 
except  these  which  have  been  formally  consecrated,  but 
shall  worship  Him  in  all  places  alike  ?  Christ  answers 
them  and  says,  "The  hour  now  /j."  What  have  they 
to  say  to  this?  0  you  who  are  "true  worshippers/' 
make  Christ  your  religion,  not  man,  and  you  will  re- 
joice to  worship  with  any  of  God's  .  people  anywhere  ! 
Oh  that  we  may  be  always  worshipping  God  wherever 
we  are,  for  evermore  ! 

7.  Christ  now  reveals  to  the  woman  the  last  thing  He 
tells  her  about  herself.  "Ye  worship,"  says  He,  "ye 
know  not  what !  "  What  an  accusation !  Why,  this  is 
as  much  as  saying  that  she  had  no  religion  at  all !  And 
this  is  just  what  He  meant.  And  is  this  your  case,  0 
unconverted  sinner?  It  is.  Like  her  you  bow  the 
head  and  bend  the  knee  ;  but  'tis  your  body  worships, 
not  your  spirit.     Like  her,  you  speak  many  words,  and 


290  THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA. 

say,  "  I  repent,"  and  "  I  desire,"  and  "  I  beseech,"  when 
you  do  not  repent,  and  desire,  and  beseech ;  and  as  you 
do  not  worship  "in  truth,"  your  words  are  lies.  Like 
her,  you  read  of  God,  and  talk  of  God,  and  profess  to 
pray  to  God,  but  you  do  not  know  God.  "  You  wor- 
ship you  know  not  what/'  Think  you  not  that  you 
would  be  right  in  confessing  that  you  have  no  religion 
at  all  ?  Then  hearken  !  it  is  the  Lord  who  uncovers 
your  condition.  He  has  drawn  aside  the  specious  veil, 
and  uplifted  the  coloured  mask,  and  exposed  the  dark- 
ness and  disease  beneath.  He  has  brought  the  burn- 
ing lamp  of  truth,  and  has  turned  its  strong  light  full 
upon  your  soul,  and  has  shewn  you  the  lost  jewel,  that 
all  but  He  forgot,  shining  in  the  midst  of  your  corrup- 
tion. He  has  exposed  you  to  yourself ;  He  has  re- 
vealed to  you  that  you  have  something  to  give  to  Him 
that  He  desires  to  receive  from  you — that  you  are 
ignorant  and  needy — that  your  ideas  of  spiritual  things 
are  only  carnal — that  you  labour  for  that  which  satis- 
fieth  not — that  your  desires  after  spiritual  blessings  are 
only  selfish — that  you  have  been,  and  still  are,  a  great 
sinner — and  that  you  have  no  religion  at  all.  You 
never  knew  yourself  before ;  you  know  but  little  of 
yourself  still ;  you  shall  know  more  yet.  You  have  no 
righteousness,  no  strength,  no  peace,  no  light,  no  joy, 
no  love,  no  wisdom,  no  life,  no  hope,  no  heaven ;  you 
are  without  Christ,  without  the  Spirit,  without  God ; 
you  are  a  sinner,  a  stranger,  an  unbeliever,  a  worldling, 
a  slave,  an  alien,  a  criminal,  an  enemy;  you  are  with- 
out fruit,  plucked  up  by  the  roots,  twice  dead;  pre- 


THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA.  291 

pared  for  you  there  are  the  winding-sheet,  the  coffin, 
the  grave,  the  judgment,  the  worm  that  dieth  not,  the 
fire  that  is  not  quenched,  the  blackness  of  darkness  for 
ever  and  ever.  Even  now  thy  light  is  fading,  thy  night 
is  falling,  thy  Judge  is  coming ;  spirits  of  the  departed, 
angels  of  darkness,  messengers  of  vengeance  are  gather- 
ing round  thee  ;  the  grave  yawns  !  Hark  !  oh,  hark  ! 
Stop,  sinner,  in  your  downward  career,  the  light  still 
lingers!  Behold  the  Cross!  Behold  the  Star  of  Hope! 
Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  who  taketh  away  the  sin  of 
the  world !  Behold  the  Gate  of  Heaven !  And  yet 
there  is  room — mercy !  Sinner,  arise !  He  calleth  thee ! 
Arise  !  Christ  and  the  Spirit,  and  the  Bride,  and  the 
Lord  God  call  thee  !  Oh,  come !  Here  is  blood  to 
wash  away  thy  sin !  Here  is  righteousness  to  clothe 
thy  soul !  Here  is  strength,  and  peace,  and  light,  and 
joy,  and  love,  and  wisdom,  and  life,  and  hope,  and 
heaven!  Here  is  all,  and  in  all]  What!  dost  thou 
linger?     Nay!  God  forbid! 

"Nay  !  but  you  yield,  you  yield; 
You  can  hold  out  no  more. 
You  sink  by  dying  love  compell'd, 
And  own  Christ  Conqueror  !  " 

Oh  may  it  be  that  you  and  I  shall  cling  to  Christ, 
through  life,  and  death,  and  judgment,  and  dwell  with 
Christ  in  eternity.     Amen,  and  Amen. 

And  now  I  take  courage  to  hojje  that  many,  many 
of  you  will  be  brought  to  Jesus:  and  to  God  shall  be 
all  the  glory.  Before  you  go,  we  shall  dwell  for  a 
while  longer  on   this   blessed  passage,  and  see   how 


292  THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA. 

the  Lord  Jesus  revealed  Himself  to  the  poor  Sama- 
ritan. 

II.  How  Jesus  revealed  Himself  to  the  sinner. 

1.  The  first  thing  which  He  seems  to  say  is — "I  am 
a  man  of  sorrows."  His  look,  His  words,  all  speak  for 
Him.  His  appearance  tells  her  He  is  poor ;  His  atti- 
tude, that  He  is  weary ;  His  request,  that  He  is  thirsty; 
His  countenance,  that  He  is  acquainted  with  grief.  A 
look  of  indifference,  or  scorn,  or  anger,  would  chill,  or 
repulse,  or  enrage  her  ;  but  His  looks  are  not  such 
looks.  How  can  she  but  feel  strangely  moved  by  a 
countenance  so  subdued,  so  sorrowful,  so  spiritual  ?  by 
words  so  pure,  and  so  compassionate  ?  0  sinner  !  it  is 
thus  Jesus  presents  Himself  to  thee  !  Behold  the  man 
of  sorrows!  His  marred,  pale  visage — His  blood- 
stained garments — His  gory  crown.  Hast  thou  no 
tears  of  penitence  with  which  to  wash  His  wounds? 
Hast  thou  no  broken  heart  to  lay  at  His  feet  1  You. 
weep  !  Come  to  Him  !  Your  sins  have  brought  Him 
sorrow,  but  His  sorrows  shall  bring  you  comfort. 
Come  to  Him  !  He  sorrowed  that  you  might  rejoice  ; 
your  sorrow  doth  make  Him  rejoice ;  His  joy  shall 
make  you  rejoice ;  your  joy  shall  make  Him  rejoice. 
Oh,  come  to  Him !  The  sorrowing  should  come  to  the 
Man  of  Sorrows ;  the  Man  of  Sorrows  never  repulsed 
the  sorrowing.  The  sorrowing  should  weep  with  the 
Man  of  Sorrows  ;  the  Man  of  Sorrows  should  wipe  away 
the  tears  of  the  sorrowing.  The  sorrowing  are  called 
by  the  Man  of  Sorrows  ;  the  Man  of  Sorrows  comforts 
the  sorrowing.     Say  with  thy  tears  and  prayers.  "Jesus, 


THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA.  293 

I  come/'      God  grant  it,  my  sorrowing  brother,   my 
sorrowing  sister ! 

2.  Again  turn  to  the  poor  Samaritan.  The  Lord 
Jesus  speaks,  and  His  words  reveal  to  her  that  He  is  a 
man  of  deep  humility.  Would  the  Jew  stoo]?  to  speak 
to  the  Samaritan  ?  No ;  but  He  stoops  to  her.  Do 
the  pure  hold  converse  with  the  impure  ?  No  ;  but  He 
holds  converse  with  her.  Do  the  rich  ask  favours  from 
the  poor  ?  No  ;  but  He  asks  a  favour  from  her.  Be- 
hold the  Son  of  God  speaking  to  an  adulteress,  and 
asking  for  a  drink  of  water  !  Here  is  no  sanctimonious 
shrinking  from  the  odour  of  impurity ;  here  is  no  un- 
feeling contempt  for  miserable  humanity.  Here  is  only 
sorrow,  and  love,  and  humility.  0  guilty  man !  0 
guilty  woman !  thou  art  not  too  mean,  too  miserable 
for  the  notice  of  Jesus.  He  who  has  already  stooped  to 
earth,  stooped  to  humanity,  stooped  to  infancy,  stooped 
to  the  manger,  stooped  to  poverty,  stooped  to  reproach, 
to  contempt,  to  ignominy,  to  tears,  to  tyranny,  to  cruci- 
fixion, to  death  !  cannot  stoop  lower,  when  He  stoops  to 
thee — He  cannot  stoop  lower  to  stoop  to  thee !  Did 
not  He  sit  down  with  publicans  and  sinners,  and  re- 
ceive thieves  and  harlots?  Well  might  thy  disease 
move  him  to  loathing,  and  thine  iniquity  to  wrath. 
Well  might  He  turn  away  in  disgust  and  horror,  and 
send  death  to  carry  thee  away,  and  bury  thee  out  of 
His  sight.  But  nay,  He  comes  to  thee  as  a  suppliant ! 
Oh !  does  not  this  wonderful  humility  overwhelm  you 
with  blushing  and  confusion?  How  can  you  escape 
such  condescension  ?     If  you  could  but  sink  out  of  His 


294  THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA. 

sight,  or  die  of  shame  at  His  feet  ?  But  no  ;  there  you 
are,  and  there  He  stands,  and  speaks  to  you.  He 
stands  there  because  He  wishes  to  reveal  Himself  to 
you ;  were  He  to  uncover  His  glory  all  at  once,  the 
light  would  dazzle  and  blind  you  for  ever.  So  He 
draws  around  it  the  veil  of  tender,  humble  humanity ; 
concealing  beneath  it  the  brightness  that  would  be  un- 
bearable, and  revealing  a  subdued  shining  of  grace 
and  glory.  Were  that  veil  withdrawn,  that  face  would 
be  as  the  countenance  of  the  sun  shining  in  its  strength, 
and  those  eyes  like  flames  of  fire  ;  but  as  He  would  not 
blind,  but  enlighten  you,  He  looks  at  you  through  the 
veil  of  a  human  countenance,  and  bids  you  gaze  into 
the  deep  meaning  that  swims  in  these  tearful  eyes,  and 
feel  the  unutterable  affection  that  throbs  in  that  bleed- 
ing heart,  and  sit  down  beside  those  oft-wearied, 
wounded  human  feet,  and  take  the  rest  of  the  sin- 
forgiven  beside  the  Saviour. 

3.  The  next  thing  that  Christ  revealed  to  the  poor 
Samaritan  about  Himself,  was  the  pity  He  felt  for  her, 
and  His  ability  and  willingness  to  supply  her  need. 
He  says,  "  If  thou  knewest  the  gift  of  God,  and  who  it 
is  that  saith  to  thee,  Give  me  to  drink,  thou  wouldst 
have  asked  of  Him,  and  He  would  have  given  thee  living 
water."  He  seems  to  say  of  Himself — "  I  pity  you, 
and  am  able  and  willing  to  give  you  that  living  water, 
of  which  this  water  in  the  well  is  but  a  lifeless  shadow." 
Do  you  not  see  these  three  things — His  pity,  His  ability, 
and  His  willingness — shining  together  in  those  touching 
Words — "  He  would  have  given    thee  living  water  ?" 


THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA.  295 

Do  they  not  remind  you  of  His  tears  over  Jerusalem  ? 
and  of  His  mournful  words — "  How  often  would  I  have 
gathered  thy  children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth 
her  chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would  not?" 
"  How  often  would  I !  and  ye  would  not ! "  0  sinner ! 
long  ago  Christ  "  would  have  given  thee  living  water  ;" 
long  ago  Christ  "  would  have  "  gathered  thee  under  His 
wings  ;  and  you  "  would  not."  And  is  it  too  late  now  ? 
Is  there  no  room  for  repentance  ?  God  forbid  !  No, 
it  is  not  too  late  ;  for  with  the  same  offer  He  still  waits 
beside  you.  I  daresay  some  of  you  doubt  that  Jesus 
pities  you.  I  daresay  some  of  you  feel  as  if  He  never 
thought  anything  about  you.  I  daresay  some  of  you 
feel  as  if  there  were  no  Christ  at  alL  If  so,  I  have  to 
tell  you  that  Christ  is  as  near  you  now,  this  moment, 
as  He  was  to  the  Samaritan  woman  when  He  talked  with 
her  by  the  well.  He  is  everywhere.  If  so,  I  have  to 
tell  you  that  you  are  never  out  of  His  thoughts  ;  that 
there  is  not  a  word  you  speak  but  He  hears ;  that  there 
is  not  an  act  you  do  but  He  sees ;  that  there  is  not 
a  thought  but  he  observes,  not  a  feeling  but  He 
understands ;  that  He  misses  nothing,  mistakes  no- 
thing, forgets  nothing,  but  knows  and  remembers 
everything.  If  so,  I  have  to  tell  you  that  His  compas- 
sion for  you  makes  Him  spare  you,  makes  Him  suffer 
with  you,  makes  Him  plead  with  you,  makes  Him  warn 
you,  and  call  aloud  to  you,  and  point  to  His  hands, 
and  heart,  and  feet,  and  bid  you  come  for  salvation 
through  His  blood.  Can  He  be  indifferent  to  sinners 
who  made  them?      Can  He  be  indifferent  to  sinners 


296  THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA 

who  supports  them  ?  Can  He  be  indifferent  to  sinners 
who  died  for  them  ?  Surely  it  is  Satan  who  blindfolds 
you,  and  whispering  lies  in  your  ears,  sends  you  to 
sleep  in  the  very  middle  of  the  broadest,  brightest  day, 
while  the  merciful  light  of  God's  grace  is  shining  down 
upon  you  !  What !  is  Christ,  who  has  saved  the  very 
worst  of  sinners,  unable  to  save  you  %  What !  is  Christ, 
who  has  upraised  the  great  hundred  and  forty-four 
thousand  from  the  pit  of  death  to  the  palace  of  eternal 
life,  unable  to  save  you  also  ?  What !  is  He  who  stands 
at  your  door  and  knocks,  unwilling  to  hear  you  when 
you  answer?  What!  is  He  who  calls  all  clay  long 
after  you,  unwilling  to  listen  when  you  cry  to  Him  ? 
Your  unbelieving  thoughts  are  dishonouring  to  Christ 
— are  suggestions  of  Satan — are  lies.  Oh,  turn  from 
them  to  the  sweet  still  lingering  reality  ! — to  Jesus  who 
waits  patiently,  hour  after  hour,  beside  you,  "  not  willing 
that  any  should  perish" — even  you — "but  that  all 
should  come  to  repentance!" 

4.  Turn  once  more  to  the  narrative.  Bead  the  thir- 
teenth and  fourteenth  verses. — "  Jesus  answered  and  said 
unto  her,  Whosoever  drinketh  of  this  water  shall  thirst 
again:  but  whosoever  drinketh  of  the  water  that  I  shall 
give  him  shall  never  thirst;  but  the  water  that  I  shall  give 
him  shall  be  in  him  a  well  of  water  springing  up  into 
everlasting  life/'  In  these  words  Christ  tells  us  this  much 
about  Himself — that  He  is  able  to  satisfy  our  strongest 
thirstings,  and  create  within  us  wells  of  immortality. 
How  the  wounded  hart  pants  after  the  water  brooks  ! 
How  the  dying  Ishmael  thirsted  for  a  drink  !    So  thirsts 


THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA.  297 

the  soul  of  the  sinner,  aroused  from  feverish  dreams  of 
sin,  by  the  tortures  of  conviction,  to  find  itself  dying 
without  hope,  for  that  "  pure  river  of  the  water  of  life, 
clear  as  crystal,  proceeding  out  of  the  throne  of  God 
and  of  the  Lamb  ! "  So  thirsts  the  soul  of  the  back- 
slider, aroused  from  the  weariness  of  fruitless  wander- 
ings, by  the  bitter  pangs  of  disappointment,  to  find 
itself  parched  upon  the  hot  desert  of  life,  and  sinking 
far  from  help  and  shelter  into  the  last  miseries  of  de- 
spair, for  those  green  pastures  and  still  waters  that 
once  gave  it  rest  and  refreshment,  now  distant  and  lost 
to  all  but  the  recollection !  So  thirsts  the  soul  of  the 
Christian,  aroused  at  the  end  of  his  weary  pilgrimage, 
by  the  spirit-waking  hand  of  death,  to  behold  his  time- 
hewn  cisterns  of  happiness,  long  dry  and  broken,  and 
his  eternal  fountain  overflowing  with  unknown  delights 
— to  drink  from  his  everlasting  God  "fulness  of  joy," 
and  "  pleasures  for  evermore  ! "  And  unless  these 
strong  thirstings  of  ours  are  quenched  in  the  over- 
brimming fulness  of  that  great  spiritual  fountain, 
Christ  Jesus— unless  these  souls  of  ours  drink  into  His 
love,  and  drink  into  His  spirit,  and  drink  into  His  life 
— there  is  nought  left  for  us  but  to  die  on  the  bed  of 
despair,  to  lie  down  in  the  fires  of  torment,  and  to 
thirst  and  cry  in  vain  even  for  a  drop  of  water  to  cool 
our  burning  tongues  for  ever  and  ever.  But  what,  if 
we  drink  of  the  water  that  Christ  can  give  us  ?  Why, 
then,  we  shall  never  thirst !  What !  can  Christ  so 
satisfy  all  my  longings,  that  I  can  thirst  no  more? 
Yes !  blessed  be  His  name  !  this  is  the  very  thing  He 


298  THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA. 

tells  us  in  the  verse — "  Whosoever  drinketh  of  the 
water  that  I  shall  give  him  shall  never  thirst/'  Come 
then,  0  all  the  world,  to  Jesns !  come  all  you  who  are 
unsatisfied  with  earth's  vanities,  and  vexed  in  spirit ; 
come  all  you  who  long  to  possess  what  is  true,  and 
lovely,  and  everlasting  ;  come  to  Jesus !  He  gives  freely, 
gives  abundantly,  gives  joyfully,  to  all  who  come  to 
Him,  this  water  of  life,  and  delight,  and  satisfaction  for 
thirsting  souls ;  and  gives  to  them  over  and  above  all 
their  longings  for  mercy  an  indwelling  fountain  of 
all-sufficient  grace — a  fountain  lying  hidden  from  the 
curious  eye  of  man,  and  the  destroying  hand  of  time, 
down  in  the  depth  of  the  spirit ;  "  a  well  of  water 
springing  up  into  everlasting  life  I" 

5.  The  woman  hears  Christ's  wonderful  offer,  but 
before  she  can  believe  in  Him,  He  has  to  reveal  Him- 
self still  further.  She  says,  "  Sir,  give  me  this  water 
that  I  thirst  not,  neither  come  hither  to  draw."  Christ 
answers,  and  by  His  answer  at  once  lifts  up  the  veil  of 
concealment  from  her  history,  and  causes  the  light  of 
the  knowledge  of  Himself  to  dawn  more  brightly  upon 
her  darkness ;  revealing  to  her  in  a  moment  the  mar- 
vellous fact  of  His  having  within  Him  the  knowledge 
of  "  all  things  that  ever  she  did."  He  says — "  Go  call 
thy  husband,  and  come  hither."  She  answers,  "  I  have 
no  husband."  He  answers,  "Thou  hast  well  said,  I 
have  no  husband ;  for  thou  hast  had  five  husbands ; 
and  he  whom  thou  now  hast  is  not  thy  husband :  in 
that  saidst  thou  truly."  Surely  these  words  must  have 
made  her  inwardly  to  blush  and  tremble.     So  the  man 


THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA.  299 

she  stood  speaking  to  knew  everything  about  her. 
Could  He  possibly  at  that  moment  be  reading  the  dark 
and  troubled  thoughts  of  her  heart  ?  "  Sir,"  she  says, 
"  I  perceive  that  thou  art  a  prophet." 

0  unconverted  sinner,  that  tender  tearful  eye  of  the 
Man  of  Sorrows  who  is  speaking  to  thee,  doth  look 
thee  through  and  through.  It  sees  into  thy  words, 
into  thy  meanings,  into  thy  motives,  into  thy  secrets, 
into  thy  unfinished  thoughts,  into  thy  very  dreams. 
His  eye  sees  all ;  His  understanding  weighs  all ;  His 
hand  records  all.  And  now  what  think  you  of  Him  ? 
Whatever  it  is,  He  sees  it,  weighs  it,  records  it !  Oh ! 
whither  can  you  fly  from  His  presence  ?  To  the  fur- 
thest part  of  the  earth  or  sea  ?  Behold  He  is  there ! 
To  the  utmost  height  of  heaven  ?  Behold  He  is  there ! 
To  the  lowest  depth  of  hell?  Behold  He  is  there! 
Thou  canst  no  more  flee  from  Him  than  thou  canst  flee 
from  thyself.  Kill  thy  body,  and  thy  soul  still  lives ; 
and  He  can  raise  thy  body,  and  cast  it  into  hell  to  die 
no  more.  Kill  thy  soul  thou  canst  not.  Thou  hast  no 
more  power  over  thy  real  life  than  thou  hast  over  His. 
Oh,  it  is  wonderful!  What  canst  thou  do?  Surely 
there  is  but  one  way  of  escape,  and  that  way  Christ 
Himself !  If  thou  wouldst  flee  from  Christ's  wrath, 
flee  to  Christ's  bosom.  Once  in  Christ's  bosom,  washed 
in  His  blood,  and  sanctified  by  His  Spirit,  His  eye 
shall  no  more  rest  upon  thy  guilt,  but  upon  thy  right- 
eousness. 

6.  Oh,  how  blind  are  the  unconverted!  Here  the 
Son  of  God  reveals  to  the  woman  His  deep  humility, 


300  THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMAKIA. 

His  tender  pity,  His  power  to  give  eternal  life,  and  Hi.j 
knowledge  of  her  entire  history,  yet  she  sees  not  in  Him 
the  true  Messiah.  And  oh,  how  compassionate  is  the 
Saviour !  Here  a  sinner  wanders  from  Him  in  dark- 
ness, and  rpjects  Him  in  unbelief ;  but  He  forbears 
with  all  the  sin  and  folly,  and  perseveres  in  all  His 
.heavenly  purposes,  until  He  tramples  beneath  His  feet 
the  works  of  the  devil  in  that  sinner,  and  is  believed  in 
and  loved  as  the  Messiah.  Mark  how  gradually  He 
rises  in  His  brightness  as  the  Sun  of  Righteousness. 
Mark  how  He  shews  His  knowledge  of  man,  of  salva- 
tion, of  worship,  of  the  future,  and  of  God  "  Woman," 
saith  Christ,  "believe  me,  the  hour  cometh,  when  ye 
shall  neither  in  this  mountain  nor  at  Jerusalem  worship 
the  Father.  Ye  worship  ye  know  not  what :  we  know 
what  we  worship :  for  salvation  is  of  the  Jews.  But 
the  hour  cometh,  and  now  is,  when  the  true  worshippers 
shall  worship  the  Father  in  Spirit  and  in  truth :  for 
the  Father  seeketh  such  to  worship  Him.  God  is  a 
Spirit :  and  they  that  worship  Him  must  worship  Him 
in  spirit  and  in  truth."  It  is  thus  that  He  who  conde- 
scends to  reason  with  poor  ignorant  sinners  shews  them 
that  He  not  only  knows  them,  but  knows  also  all  men, 
and  all  things,  and  the  Lord  of  all.  He  is  the  only 
man  who  knows  "  what  is  in  man  ;"  and  He  is  the  only 
man  who  "  knows  the  Father ; "  and  when  He  shews 
us  that  He  knows  us  and  knows  God,  and  adds,  that 
He  loves  us  and  loves  God,  how  can  we  any  longer 
doubt  that  He  is  the  great  Mediator  between  God  and 
man,  and  Himself  the  great  God-man?     And  did  He 


THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA.  301 

thus  unveil  the  glory  of  His  knowledge  and  of  His 
love  before  the  woman?  and  could  she  any  longer 
doubt  that  He  was  the  true  Messiah  ?  Still  she  knew 
Him  not!  And  if  He  had  left  her  there,  she  had 
perished ;  and  so  with  all  who  are  brought  to  Christ. 
They  have  to  be  taught  everything.  Whatever  He 
teaches  them  not,  they  know  not.  He  has  to  be  both 
Author  and  Finisher  of  their  faith  ;  and  never  does  He 
leave  His  work  unfinished.  She  says,  "I  know  that 
Messias  cometh,  which  is  called  Christ  :  when  He  is 
come  He  will,  tell  us  all  things."  Now  comes  the 
clearest  revelation  He  makes  of  Himself,  and  the  crown 
of  all. 

7.  Says  Christ,  "  I  that  speak  unto  thee  am  he ! " 
Slowly  did  the  day-light  dawn  upon  her — long  did  it 
struggle  through  the  shifting  clouds  of  her  darkness ; 
at  last  the  morning  sun  rose  right  out  of  the  gloom, 
and  broke  upon  her  troubled  soul  in  glory.  "  I  that 
speak  unto  thee  am  he!"  "I,"  the  very  Man  with 
whom  you  are  conversing ;  "  I/'  that  have  shewn  you 
all  things  that  ever  you  did  ;  "  I  am  he,"  of  whom  you 
have  heard  from  your  childhood  ;  I  "am  he/'  of  whom 
Moses  and  the  Prophets  wrote,  and  He  for  whom  you 
look  !  And  she  believed  Him  !  He  was  the  promised 
Messias  !     He  was  the  Christ  of  God  ! 

And  now,  in  conclusion,  let  me  humbly,  solemnly, 
earnestly  ask  each  one  of  you,  whether  you  have  ever 
yet  seen  yourself  and  your  Saviour?  Has  Christ  re- 
vealed to  you  that  you  have  something  to  give  to  Him 
which  He  desires  to  receive  from  you — that  you  art 


302  THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA. 

ignorant  and  needy — that  your  ideas  about  spiritual 
tilings  are  altogether  carnal — that  you  labour  for  that 
which  satisfies  not — that  your  desires  after  spiritual 
blessings  are  only  selfish — that  you  have  been,  and 
still  are,  a  great  sinner ;  and  that  you  have  no  religion 
at  all  ?  And  has  Christ  revealed  to  you  that  He  is  a 
Man  of  Sorrows — that  He  is  an  Humble  Man — and 
that  He  pities  you,  and  is  able  and  willing  to  give  you 
those  spiritual  blessings,  of  which  all  earthly  blessings 
are  but  the  shadows — that  He  can  satisfy  your  strong- 
est thirstings,  and  put  within  you  a  well  of  spiritual, 
up-springing,  everlasting  life  and  delight — that  He 
knows  perfectly  everything  about  your  past  history 
and  present  state — that  He  is  true,  knowing  both  man 
and  God;  and  that  He  is  the  Messias,  the  Christ,  the 
Friend  of  sinners,  the  Saviour  of  your  soul?  If  so, 
you  know  that  you  are  nothing,  and  that  He  is  All. 
To  know  this  is  to  be  humble  and  happy,  sorrowful 
and  glad.  You  cannot  be  less  than  nothing,  and  He 
cannot  be  more  than  All.  And  if  poor  nothings  can 
be  saved  by  looking  to  the  Great  All,  and  you  a  poor 
nothing  are  looking  to  Christ,  the  Great  All,  the  gates 
of  heaven  are  as  much  open  to  you  as  to  Gabriel, — you 
have  found  the  salvation  of  God ! 

Before  I  close  I  should  like  to  make  two  or  three 
remarks  in  application  to  the  sinner  and  to  the  Chris- 
tian. First,  to  the  unconverted,  I  would  say,  Do  not 
shut  your  eyes  to  Christ.  When  Christ  told  the  woman 
about  His  power  to  give  her  living  water,  she  asked 
Him,  "  Art  thou  greater  than  our  father  Jacob  ? "     Be- 


THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA.  803 

ware  of  overlooking  or  undervaluing  the  Saviour.     Do 

not  shut  your  eyes  to  yourself.     When  Christ  told  the 

woman  of  her  guilt,  instead  of  opening  her  eyes  to  see 

the  sorrowful  truth,  she  turned  away  from  it ;  instead 

of  answering,  "Sir,  I  perceive  that  I  am  a  sinner,"  she 

answered,  "Sir,  I  perceive  that  thou  art  a  prophet/' 

To  see  your  guilt  is  only  one  step  from  confessing  it, 

two  steps  from  having  it  forgiven,  and  three  steps  from 

heaven.     Do  not  procrastinate.     When  Christ  told  the 

poor  Samaritan  that  she  worshipped  she  knew  not  what, 

she  said,  "  I  know  that  Messias  cometh  which  is  called 

Christ ;  when  he  is  come,  he  will  tell  us  all  things." 

Do  not  put  off  thoughts  of  your  sin,  and  efforts  for 

your  salvation  to  a  future  hour.     Do  not  say,  When 

God's  time  comes,  or  when  the  Spirit  conies,  then  I  will 

be  saved.     "Now  is  the  accepted  time,"  and  Christ  is 

already  come ;  and  whether  you  know  it  or  not,  is  as 

near  you  as  He  was  to  the  Samaritan.     Lastly,  to  the 

converted  I  would  say,  Give  up  labouring  for   that 

which  satisfies  not.     When  the  woman  heard  that  this 

was  the  very  Christ,  she  "  left  her  waterpot."     Live  not 

for  self  and  time,  but  for  Christ  and  eternity.     Lead 

sinners   to  your  Saviour.      As  soon   as  the  woman 

learned  Christ,  she  preached  Christ.     She  went  to  the 

city,  she  called  the  men,  she  said,  "  Come,  see  a  man 

which  told  me  all  things  that  ever  I  did:  is  not  this 

the   Christ?"      It  is  better  to  say  to  unbelievers 

"Come  to  Christ/'  than  "go  to  Christ."  Instead  of 
saying— "Follow  my  advice/'  say,  "follow  my  example." 
If  yon  want  to  prevail  with  them,  say,  "  Cpme  with 


304  THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA. 

me ! "  If  you  would  get  them  to  use  the  remedy,  tell 
them  how  it  has  already  cured  you.  Eelate  your  con- 
version. Say  with  the  Samaritan — "  See  a  man  that 
told  me  all  things  that  I  ever  did!"  If  you  would 
succeed,  press  home  some  question  about  their  thoughts 
of  your  Saviour.  Put  it  to  them — "  Is  not  this  the 
Christ?"  You  may  depend  upon  it,  those  who  are 
like  this  Samaritan  in  earnest,  will  be,  like  her,  success- 
ful. We  read — "  Then  they  went  out  of  the  city  and 
came  unto  him."  And  then  seek  that  Christ  may 
abide  with  you.  When  the  Samaritans  believed,  "they 
besought  him  that  he  would  tarry  with  them/'  Love 
is  the  child  of  faith ;  where  faith  rests  love  rests. 
Love's  rest  is  in  love's  object.  Faith  and  love  rest  at 
Christ's  feet.  Let  your  first  prayer  to  Jesus,  in  the 
early  childhood  of  your  love  to  Him,  be,  "  Jesus,  abide 
with  me !  '"'.  And  when  your  hairs  are  grown  gray  in 
His  service,  and  the  daylight  fades  around  you  through 
the  falling  shadows,  let  this  last  prayer  ascend  to 
heaven — "Jesus,  abide  with  me  ;  it  is  towards  evening  ; 
the  clay  is  far  spent;  the  night  is  at  hand — Jesus! 
through  the  twilight,  in  the  darkness,  at  the  daybreak, 
in  the  glory,  and  for  ever — oh,  abide — Jesus,  abide 
with  me  I " 


SEEMON  XIV. 


THE  GREEN  TREE  AND  THE  DRY. 

Luke  xxiii.  31. 

*  For  if  they  do  these  things  in  a  green  tree,  what  shall  be  done  in 
the  dry?" 

The  most  solemn  part  of  every  day  is  its  close.  With 
the  fading  twilight,  and  growing  gloom  of  evening,  a 
hush  falls  upon  the  spirit.  We  listen  to  the  dying 
murmurs  of  the  wind,  and  watch  the  rising  stars,  and 
are  silenced  and  subdued. 

Our  life  is  but  a  day.  Birth  is  our  sunrise — death 
our  svrsset.  It  is  a  solemn  thing  to  live :  it  is  a 
solemn  thing  to  die.  Of  the  two,  to  die  is  the  more 
solemn.  Dying  is  the  ebb  of  time.  Dying  is  the  flow 
of  eternity. 

It  is  a  solemn  thing  to  speak.  Our  words  are  lo3t> 
yet  treasured.  Every  word  dropped  by  us  is  caught 
by  God.  The  lightest  word  we  utter  is  imperishable. 
We  cannot  unsay  it.  God  cannot  forget  it.  Of  all  out: 
words,  the  most  solemn  are  our  dying  words.     They 

V 


306       THE  GREEN  TREE  AND  THE  DRY. 

are  the  last  earthly  sighs  of  the  suffering  ;  they  are  the 
last  earthly  songs  of  the  rejoicing.  The  last  word  we 
speak  is  the  amen  of  our  mortality.  All  Christ's  words 
were  solemn  ;  but  as  His  gray  autumn  faded,  and  His 
dark  winter  fell — as  the  light  of  His  short,  stormy  life 
sunk  into  eternity,  His  words  became  more  than  ever 
few,  and  deep-toned. 

Such  are  the  words  of  my  text.  Read  aright,  they 
form  a  prophecy  ;  yea,  one  of  the  blackest  prophecies  on 
record.  Heard  aright,  they  sound  as  a  prelude — an 
awful  prelude — to  the  great  judgment  sentence — "  De- 
part, ye  cursed." 

Behold  Christ  on  His  way  to  Calvary.  His  hour  had 
come.  He  carries  the  cross  on  which  He  is  to  die. 
The  Jews  and  Romans  are  taking  Him  to  the  place  of 
crucifixion.  A  multitude  of  women  follow  the  innocent 
sufferer,  weeping  and  lamenting.  He  turns  to  them. 
"  Daughters  of  Jerusalem ! "  says  Christ,  *  weep  not 
for  me."  While  they  were  pitying  Him,  He  was  pity- 
ing them.  And  He  was  right ;  for  they  were  the  true 
objects  of  pity.  They  saw  only  the  shame  and  sorrow 
of  His  death  ;  He  felt  the  joy  and  glory.  They  thought 
Him  bound  by  the  will  of  others ;  He  felt  Himself 
bound  by  His  own  will.  They  beheld  Him  in  the 
hands  of  His  murderers  ;  He  felt  Himself  in  the  hands 
of  His  Father.  They  looked  only  at  the  present ;  He 
looked  beyond  it,  at  the  future.  "  Weep  not  for  me," 
says  Christ,  "but  weep  for  yourselves,  and  for  your 
children."  They  weep  at  the  sight  of  His  judgment; 
but  He  bids  them  weep  at  the  sight  of  their  own.     He 


THE  GEEEN  TREE  AND  THE  DRY.       307 

points  out  two  great  judgments  coming  towards  them  ; 
the  last  greater  than  the  first.  He  shews  them  the 
future  darkened  by  the  smoke  of  two  fearful  conflagra- 
tions :  the  one,  the  fire  of  Jerusalem  ;  the  other,  the 
burning  of  the  world.  He  tells  them  that  when  men 
feel  the  heat  of  God's  vengeance,  they  shall  change 
their  minds.  Some  things  they  call  blessings  now, 
they  shall  call  curses  then.  Now  they  long  for  chil- 
dren, and  cling  to  life  ;  then  they  shall  envy  the  child- 
less and  the  dead.  And  He  closes  the  whole  by  one  of 
the  most  solemn  sayings  He  ever  uttered — a  saying 
which  reveals  a  reason  for  both  judgments  predicted ; 
"  for,"  says  Christ,  "  if  they  do  these  things  in  a  green 
tree,  what  shall  be  done  in  the  dry  ? " 

A  word  in  explanation.  The  green  tree  is  Christ ; 
the  dry  tree  in  the  first  judgment  is  the  Jewish  nation  ; 
and  the  dry  tree  in  the  last  judgment  is  the  unconverted 
world. 

By  a  "  green  tree  "  Christ  does  not  mean  a  young 
and  tender  tree,  but  rather  one  full  grown  and  flourish- 
ing. By  "  the  dry/'  He  means  a  tree  withered,  worth- 
less, and  dead. 

With  respect  to  the  first  judgment  He  may  mean 
this :  "  If  the  Romans  so  treat  the  innocent  Jesus, 
how  will  they  treat  the  guilty  Jerusalem?"  or  He  may 
mean,  "  If  the  Jews  so  punish  me,  how  will  God  punish 
them?"  With  respect  to  the  second  judgment,  He 
surely  means — "  If  God  so  bruise  the  innocent  for  the 
transgressions  of  others,  how  will  He  punish  the  guilty 
for  their  own  iniquities  ?" 


308       THE  GEEEN  TREE  AND  THE  DRY. 

Christ  was  now  about  to  die.  His  opportunities  of 
warning  men  with  His  own  lips  about  the  wrath  to 
come,  were  rapidly  hasting  away,  and  almost  at  their 
end.  Often  had  He  stood  upon  the  steps  of  the  temple 
or  in  the  crowded  synagogue,  or  upon  the  hill-side,  or 
by  the  sea,  and  preached  to  multitudes  the  world's  judg- 
ment, as  well  as  the  gospel  of  salvation.  But  now  His 
labours  in  this  way  were  over.  No  more  would  He 
have  the  opportunity  of  lifting  up  His  voice,  and  crying 
— "  Woe  unto  you,  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  !" 
or,  "  Woe  unto  thee,  Chorazin ;  woe  unto  thee,  Beth- 
saida  !"  or,  "Thou,  Capernaum,  which  art  exalted  unto 
heaven,  shall  be  brought  down  to  hell!"  No  more 
would  He  have  the  opportunity  of  revealing  to  the  un- 
converted their  miserable  and  jDerilous  state,  by  means 
of  such  parables  as  that  of  the  man  who  built  his  house 
upon  the  sand,  and  was  overwhelmed  by  flood  and 
storm  ;  or  that  of  the  guest  who  appeared  before  the 
king  without  a  wedding  garment,  and  was  carried  away 
speechless,  and  cast  into  outer  darkness  ;  or  that  of  the 
foolish  virgins,  whose  lamps  went  out  while  they 
slumbered,  and  who  were  awakened  at  midnight,  when 
it  was  too  late  to  make  preparation  for  the  marriage 
feast,  and  refused  admittance  ;  or  that  of  the  unprofit- 
able servant,  who  was  unfaithful  with  the  one  talent 
committed  to  him,  and  at  the  coming  of  his  lord,  was 
condemned  and  cast  into  the  place  of  weeping  and 
gnashing  of  teeth  ;  or  that  of  the  rich  man,  who,  while 
the  beggar  Lazarus  was  laid  at  his  gate  full  of  sores, 
was  clothed  in  purple  and  fine  linen,  and  fared  sumptu- 


THE  GREEN  TREE  AND  THE  DRY.       309 

ously  every  clay,  and  died  unprepared  to  meet  his  God, 
and  lifted  up  his  eyes  being  in  torments,  and  was  re- 
fused a  drop  of  water  to  cool  his  burning  tongue.  No 
more  would  He  have  the  opportunity  of  warning  those 
who,  with  an  outside  show  of  religion,  were  leading  the 
ignorant  to  believe  them  to  be  holy,  and  then  with  false 
doctrines  deluding  and  ruining  them,  in  such  awful 
words  as  these — "  Ye  serpents  !  ye  generation  of  vipers! 
how  can  ye  escape  the  damnation  of  hell?"  or  of  un- 
covering, before  the  eyes  of  unbelieving  and  impenitent 
sinners,  the  fearful  place  of  everlasting  torment,  in  such 
solemn  and  memorable  words  as  these — "  There  their 
worm  dieth  not,  and  there  their  fire  is  not  quenched/' 
But  though  His  work  of  preaching  was  finished,  the 
burden  of  perishing  souls  lay  upon  Him  as  heavily  as 
ever.  Hell  and  the  judgment  were  not  hidden  from 
Him  as  from  others.  He  knew  them ;  He  described 
them ;  He  realised  them.  And  therefore,  as  long  as 
He  was  on  earth,  and  within  reach  of  miserable  sinners, 
He  could  not  hold  His  peace  about  them.  And  thus 
we  find  Him  stopping  on  His  way  to  crucifixion,  and 
turning  to  those  who  follow  Him  with  tears  and 
lamentations,  and  bidding  them  not  to  weep  for  Him, 
but  for  others ;  and  telling  them  of  the  day  of  wrath 
that  was  coining;  and  then  uttering  this  closing 
sentence — a  sentence  surcharged  with  dark  and  dread- 
ful meaning — a  sentence  forming  the  last  of  all  His 
warnings  to  the  ungodly — a  sentence  like  a  prelude 
to  the  curse  which  He  shall  yet  pronounce  upon  the 
guilty  from  the  throne   of  judgment — "  If  they  do 


310       THE  GREEN  TREE  AND  THE  DRY. 

these  things  in  a  green  tree,  what  shall  be  done  in  the 
dry  r 

I  will  now,  with  God's  help,  try  to  open  up  to  you  this 
solemn  text.  We  have  here  two  trees  :  one  green — the 
other  dry.  I  will  shew  you,  first,  The  glory  and  de- 
struction of  the  green  tree  ;  and  then,  The  shame  and 
end  of  the  dry.  I  will  dwell  briefly  on  the  first  part  of 
the  subject,  and  longer  on  the  second.  May  God 
mercifully  help  us,  for  Christ's  sake. 

I.  The  glory  and  destruction  of  the  green  tree. 

In  meditating  upon  the  glory  of  the  green  tree,  we 
had  better  keep  the  substance  of  it  and  the  shadow  of 
it  apart  from  each  other.  To  do  so,  we  will  look  first 
at  the  natural  tree,  and  next  at  the  Saviour,  who  is  re- 
presented by  it. 

In  the  midst  of  yonder  wilderness,  overrun  with  all 
manner  of  weeds  and  poisonous  plants,  there  lies  an 
humble  patch  of  dry,  bare  ground.  From  the  midst  of 
the  dry,  barren  ground,  where  nothing  ever  grew  be- 
fore, there  rises  up  a  young  tree,  tall  and  fair  to  look 
upon.  Higher  and  higher  it  grows,  until  its  shadow 
falls  upon  the  tops  of  the  loftiest  trees  around  it ; 
higher  and  higher,  until  all  the  trees  in  the  wilderness 
are  but  weeds  when  compared  with  it. 

Now  turn  to  the  reality.  Christ  is  that  tree  of  God. 
In  His  birth,  He  £rew  out  of  ground  that  was  barren. 
In  His  infancy,  &e  was  that  "  tender  plant,"  of  which 
Isaiah  prophesied.  In  His  childhood,  His  shadow  fell 
upon  heads  that  were  gray  with  years  and  experience. 
And  in  His  manhood,  the  mightiest  in  the  world  were 


THE  GREEN  TREE  AND  THE  DRY.       31 1 

but  weeds  under  His  branches.  As  a  man,  He  grew  in 
stature,  and  wisdom,  and  favour,  and  glory,  until  there 
was  none  such  upon  the  face  of  the  earth  ;  until  He 
stood  alone  as  the  great  tree  of  life  in  the  midst  of  the 
perishing ;  until  He  bid  fair  to  stretch  forth  His  branches 
to  the  uttermost  ends  of  the  world. 

Look  back  to  the  green  tree.  How  beautiful  it  is ! 
It  has  no  crooked  boughs,  or  twisted  branches.  There 
are  no  worm-eaten  or  withered  leaves :  every  leaf  is  as 
fresh  as  when  first  unfolded  from  the  bud.  There  are 
no  weather-beaten,  time-stained  flowers :  every  flower 
is  perfect.  There  are  no  bitter  or  rotten  fruits  :  all  its 
fruits  are  ripe  and  uninjured.  From  the  lowest  root 
to  the  highest  leaf,  it  is  without  a  fault. 

Behold  in  this  some  faint  picture  of  Jesus.  His 
birth  was  as  pure  as  the  creation  of  an  angel.  His 
childhood  was  as  spotless  as  sunshine.  His  thoughts 
were  as  clear  as  the  river  of  God.  His  heart  was  a 
well  of  love.  His  soul  was  a  great  deep  of  light.  His 
life  was  unstained  by  the  shadow  of  evil.  He  was  the 
wonder  of  devils.  He  was  the  admiration  of  angels. 
He  was  the  joy  of  God !     He  was  heaven  on  earth  ! 

Turn  again  to  the  green  tree.  Mark  its  goodness. 
It  casts  a  cool  shadow  at  noon-tide,  where  the  weary 
hide  from  the  heat  of  day.  Men  pluck  its  leaves,  and 
lay  them  on  the  sores  of  the  sick  and  wounded,  and 
they  bring  the  balm  of  ease,  and  the  strength  of  heal- 
ing. Its  flowers  shed  down  sweetness  on  the  air.  Its 
fruit  is  the  daily  bread  of  a  multitude.  The  storms 
that  bow,  and  break,  and  trample  down  the  trees  of  the 


312       THE  GREEN  TREE  AND  THE  DRY. 

forest,  only  shower  from  its  bending  branches  leaves, 
and  fruit,  and  fragrance,  upon  the  world  beneath. 

Behold  in  this  the  shadow  of  Jesus  !  He  was  the 
refuge  of  the  repentant.  He  was  the  rest  of  the  weary. 
He  was  the  home  of  the  outcast.  He  was  the  bread  of 
the  hungry.  He  was  the  health  of  the  diseased.  Did 
the  blind  ever  leave  Him  sightless  ?  or  the  hungry 
empty  ?  or  the  dumb  silent  ?  Was  He  not  more  than 
the  Pool  of  Siloam  to  helpless  sufferers  ?  and  than  the 
waters  of  Jordan  to  leprous  Naamans  ?  Was  He  not 
better  than  the  Balm  of  Gilead  to  broken  hearts  ?  and 
than  the  oil  of  spikenard  to  wounded  spirits  ?  Was  He 
not  the  grave  in  which  men  buried  their  sorrows  ?  the 
water  of  oblivion  with  which  they  cleansed  away  their 
dark  memories  ?  the  bath  of  blood  in  which  they  washed 
white  their  sin-stained  spirits  ?  When  storms  of  trial 
and  temptation  swept  across  Him,  what  did  they  shake 
down  but  leaves  of  healing,  and  fruits  of  life,  and  fra- 
grance of  love  and  of  heaven  ?  What  was  He  but  the 
tree  of  life  transplanted  for  a  time  from  the  everlasting 
Eden? 

Look  back  once  more  at  the  green  tree.  Mark  its 
promise.  Leave  that  tree  untouched,  and  what  will  it 
become?  Will  it  not  reach  up  to  heaven,  and  spread 
till  it  overshadows  the  world  ?  Who  will  it  leave  with- 
out a  shelter  ?  What  diseases  will  it  not  cure  ?  What 
hunger  will  it  not  satisfy?  Will  it  not  grow  into  a 
universal  blessing  ? 

Behold  in  this  the  shadow  of  Jesus !  Had  He  dwelt 
upon  earth  until  now.  what  would  He  not  have  done 


THE  GREEN  TEEE  AND  THE  DRY.       313 

for  mankind  !  If  in  three  years  He  healed  such  crowds 
of  diseased  persons,  what  multitudes  would  He  have 
cured  in  eighteen  centuries !  If  He  fed  five  thousand, 
and  seven  thousand  at  a  meal,  what  thousands  of  thou- 
sands would  He  have  fed  since  !  Who  would  have 
been  left  hungry,  or  who  naked  ?  If  He  freely  forgave 
the  sins  of  penitent  publicans,  and  praying  thieves,  and 
weejmig  harlots,  and  cast  out  none  who  came  to  Him, 
what  myriads  would  have  swollen  the  train  of  His  dis- 
ciples since  !  Oh !  what  would  the  world  have  been  now  ? 
Oh,  when  we  think  of  it,  the  glory  of  that  green  tree  of 
God! 

Wonderful,  wonderful  Jesus !  how  can  we  now  turn 
from  the  brightness  of  Thy  glory,  to  the  gloom  of  Thy 
sorrow  ?  Oh  !  who  shall  tell  the  tale  of  destruction  ? 
The  axe  and  the  flame  from  beneath,  and  the  glittering 
arrows  from  above,  stripped  and  rent,  and  levelled  all 
Thy  glory.  Thou  wast  slain  and  buried  off  the  face  of 
the  earth ! 

Come  all  you  who  are  careless  about  jovlt  own  salva- 
tion— come  all  you  who  are  not  in  earnest  about  the 
salvation  of  others — come  hither,  and  tremble  at  Christ's 
sorrows.  They  are  the  blackest  prophecies  of  future 
sojtow  to  the  careless  and  unconverted,  that  were  ever 
written  by  the  finger  of  God  upon  the  page  of  history. 
Oh,  woe !  woe  to  the  guilty  in  the  day  of  vengeance ! 
See  Him,  the  innocent  Lamb  of  God — the  pure,  the 
lovely,  the  heavenly  Lamb  of  God — see  Him,  and  all 
for  the  sin  of  others,  led,  led  by  man  and  God,  to  the 
slaughter!     See   Him,   the  humble,   loving,    devoted 


314?       THE  GREEN  TREE  AND  THE  DRY. 

Jesus — the  dear,  the  only,  the  everlasting  Son  of  God ! 
— see  Him,  and  all  for  sin,  and  sin  alone,  trodden 
down  and  crushed  by  the  multitude,  bruised,  and  for- 
saken by  His  Father,  and  then  scourged,  and  stripped, 
and  crucified  !  Mark  the  blood  ! — my  soul  sickens,  my 
brain  reels  at  the  sight — mark  the  blood  streaming 
from  His  open  wounds !  See  the  mingled  tears  and 
blood — the  clotted  dust  and  gore — the  thorns — the  look 
of  love  and  sorrow — the  iron  entering  into  His  soul ! 
Ah  me  !  My  God  !  my  God  !  Oh,  hear  the  dying 
prayer !  0  God  !  that  cry  !  His  heart  is  broken — 
pierced  and  broken ;  nought  hangs  upon  the  cross  but 
a  lifeless  body ;  the  sobbing  soul — the  breath  of  love 
and  sorrow — the  overburdened  spirit  hath  through  the 
fearful  gloom  gone  to  its  God. 

Thus  died,  in  the  presence  of  man  and  in  the  pre- 
sence of  God,  the  holy  Son  of  Man  and  Son  of  God. 
Thus  died,  by  the  hand  of  man  and  the  will  of  God, 
the  faultless  Son  of  Man  and  Son  of  God.  Thus  died, 
for  the  good  of  man,  and  the  glory  of  God,  the  unstained 
Son  of  Man  and  Son  of  God.  Thus  was  the  dreadful 
sword  of  almighty  vengeance  justly  reddened  with  the 
blood  of  innocence.  Thus  was  the  guiltless  consumed 
as  a  sacrifice  by  the  devouring  flame  of  the  wrath  of 
God  against  the  guilty.  Thus  was  judgment  executed. 
Thus  was  hell  opened.     Thus  was  justice  satisfied. 

II.  And  now  I  pause  ;  and  turn  from  Christ's  cross  to 
Christ's  question — "  What  shall  be  done  in  the  dry  ?" 
We  have  looked  for  a  few  moments  at  the  glory  and 


THE  GKEEN  TREE  AN1>  THE  DKY.  315 

destruction  of  the  green  tree.     We  turn  to  the  shame 
and  end  of  the  dry. 

I  know  not  how  to  address  you  on  this  part  of  iny 
subject.  It  is  an  awful  thing  that  I  should  have  to 
uncover  publicly,  and  point  out  to  the  world  the  dark 
shame  of  my  perishing  fellow-creatures.  It  is  an 
awful  thing  that  I  should  have  to  raise  the  fair  veil  of 
profession,  and  shew  the  foul  disease  beneath :  that  I 
should  have  to  say  that  these  young  children,  that  these 
amiable  families,  that  these  kind  parents,  that  these 
hoary-headed  sires,  that  these  religious  professors,  thou- 
sands and  thousands  of  them,  are  absolutely  dead  and 
corrupt  in  the  sight  of  God.  But  lest  you  should  gaze 
upon  the  moral  world  around  you,  where  the  spiritual 
diseases  of  multitudes  are  kept  so  carefully  covered  up 
as  to  be  concealed  almost  completely  from  the  eyes  of 
most  people,  and  fancy  that  the  thousands  and  thou- 
sands of  professing  Christians,  who  dwell  around  you 
in  this  land,  really  are  what  they  seem  to  be — lest  you 
should  look  upon  the  unconverted  world  around  you, 
where  the  abominable  practices  of  multitudes  are 
dressed  up  in  fashionable  lace  and  satin,  or  hidden 
from  the  eye  of  man  and  the  light  of  day,  in  secret  and 
darkness,  and  imagine  that  the  millions  who  pass  away 
from  generation  to  generation  into  the  great  unknown 
of  eternity,  are  really,  in  the  sight  of  God,  as  tolerable 
in  their  lives  and  hopeful  in  their  deaths,  as  they  are 
in  the  sight  of  man, — yea,  lest  you  should  look  back 
upon  your  own  past,  and  down  into  your  own  present 


316       THE  GREEN  TREE  AND  THE  DRY. 

condition,  0  unregenerate  sinner,  where  impurity  hath 
worn  the  smile  of  innocence,  and  guilt  of  gaiety ;  where 
lustful  desires  have  been  nursed,  and  stifled  convictions 
buried,  and  the  world  received,  and  Satan  harboured, 
and  sin  enshrined,  and  Christ  rejected,  and  God  for- 
gotten— and  think  that  thou  art  better  in  thy  life  than 
most,  and  in  a  fair  way  to  a  happier  world,  and  that 
God  is  very  merciful,  and  all  will  yet  be  well, — I  do 
now  solemnly  uncover  the  shame,  and  point  out  the 
end  of  all  Christless  professors,  and  -careless  world- 
lings, and  unregenerate  sinners  upon  earth  ;  and  de- 
mand an  answer  from  thee  to  Christ's  fearful  question, 
as  pointing  you  back  with  one  hand  to  His  cross,  and 
on  with  the  other  hand  to  your  judgment,  He  asks 
you — "  If  they  do  these  things  in  a  green  tree,  what 
shall  be  done  in  the  dry?"     May  God  help  me. 

Look  then,  0  unconverted  man  or  woman,  at  that 
dry  tree.  It  is  spring-time :  thousands  of  plants 
around  are  putting  forth  green  leaves  ;  but  not  a  leaf 
appears  upon  it.  It  is  summer:  the  gardens  are  white, 
and  many-coloured  with  flowers ;  but  it  stands  as  bare 
as  it  stood  in  spring.  It  is  autumn  :  the  orchards  are 
golden  and  red  with  fruit ;  but  it  remains  black  and 
dead.  Sinner!  thou  art  that  dry  tree.  You  were  once 
a  child:  but  no  spring  leaves  did  you  ever  bring  forth 
in  spring-time.  Look  back  to  your  early  years,  and 
think  of  what  you  were  !  Ere  ever  the  light  of  the 
knowledge  of  good  and  evil  dawned  into  your  new- 
born, wondering  mind,  what  evil  storms  of  passion 
overhung,  and  darkened,  and  troubled  it !     How  warm 


THE  GEEEN  TKEE  AND  THE  DEY.  317 

was  your  fresh,  tender  heart  towards  your  earthly 
parent — how  cold  towards  your  heavenly !  You  did 
weep  sometimes  from  what  were  called  religious  im- 
pressions ;  but  were  the  tears  which  fell  from  your 
eyes  true  signs  of  the  life  of  God  in  your  soul  ?  Do 
not  those  who  are  at  enmity  with  God  often  weep  over 
the  sufferings  of  Christ  ?  Did  you  not  weep  over  the 
story  of  Jesus,  just  as  you  did  over  the  story  of 
Joseph?  Was  there  more  real  spiritual  emotion  in 
your  tears  about  the  Saviour,  than  in  your  tears  about 
a  broken  toy,  or  a  dead  bird,  or  a  faded  flower  ?  Did 
your  child's  voice  ever  utter  prayer — true  prayer  ?  Do 
the  dead  breathe  ? 

And  when  the  time  of  summer  came,  and  numbers 
of  your  age  around  you  were  blossoming  into  spiritual 
loveliness,  did  you  brighten  and  break  forth  into  the 
bloom  of  grace?  Did  you  become  humble,  and 
obedient,  and  affectionate,  like  that  sainted  sister, 
whose  spirit  has  since  gone  to  God  ?  Did  your  heart 
begin  to  swell  and  beat  with  a  new  and  hidden  life, 
and  to  send  the  warm  streams  of  joy  and  love  through 
your  entire  being,  until  you  could  contain  yourself  no 
longer,  but  broke  out  into  sweet  confessions  of  Christ 
and  praises  of  God  ?     Do  the  dead  speak  ?     Ah,  no  ! 

And  when  autumn  came  to  you,  and  the  souls  of 
many  you  loved  were  ripening  and  hallowing  under 
the  constant  shining  of  God's  face  upon  them,  did 
your  feelings  soften  with  the  sense  of  the  goodness  of 
the  Lord,  and  mellow  towards  Him  into  the'  tender- 
ness of  mature  affection  ?     Or  were  you  still  the  same 


31 8       THE  GREEN  TREE  AND  THE  DRY. 

as  in  the  summer  of  youth,  and  in  the  spring  of  child- 
hood? Alas!  you  were  still  fruitless — fruitless  and 
dead  !  And  now  winter  hath  come  with  some  of  you ; 
your  sun  of  life  is  sunk  down  low ;  your  days  are 
shortening,  darkening ;  the  snows  of  age  are  falling ; 
the  shadows  of  death  are  descending ;  soon  shall  you 
sink  in  the  midnight  storm  ;  soon  shall  you  be  buried 
beneath  the  drift  of  darkness  ;  soon  shall  time  cover 
your  last  resting-place  with  withered  leaves,  and  the 
ashes  of  mortality. 

0  miserable  one,  hast  thou  not  within  thee  yet  the 
spirit  of  life — the  earnest  of  immortality?  Do  cold 
hearts  beat  ?  Ah,  no !  Dead  in  spring-time,  dead  in 
summer,  dead  in  autumn,  dead  in  winter ;  thou  hast 
remained  unchanged  by  the  light  of  experience,  by  the 
warnings  of  years,  by  the  swift  flight  of  seasons,  by 
blighted  hopes  and  gathering  shadows ;  thy  past  lost, 
thy  present  perishing,  thy  future— God  only  knows — 
why  not  perdition ! 

Look  again,  0  unconverted  man  or  woman,  at  that 
dry  tree.  Never  does  the  rising  sun  shine  upon  it  but 
it  finds  it  more  decayed  than  it  was  the  day  before. 
Branch  after  branch  is  dropping  off;  it  is  slowly  rot- 
ting to  its  core.  Every  hour  it  becomes  worse  and 
worse.  Sinner!  thou  art  that  dry  tree.  You  are  not 
more  dead  now  than  you  were  in  childhood,  but  you 
are  more  corrupt  now  than  you  were  then.  Then  you 
were  fresh  dead ;  now  you  are  long  dead.  You  have 
been  exposed  to  many  things  that  have  rapidly  has- 
tened your  decay.     You  have  harboured  many  things 


THE  GREEN  TREE  AND  THE  DRY.  819 

that  have  bred  and  nourished  your  decay.  Once  you 
had  little  knowledge  of  what  was  bad,  and  you  were 
like  an  untainted  corpse,  and  people  called  you  inno- 
cent. But  now  your  knowledge  of  evil  has  increased ; 
you  have  become  wise  about  men's  open  follies,  and 
learned  about  men's  secret  sins,  and  Satan's  power  to 
tempt  you  has  increased  in  proportion.  Your  memory 
becomes  blacker  and  blacker  with  fresh  stains  every 
day ;  the  pure  things  you  hear  write  themselves  upon 
it  with  water,  the  impure  things  you  hear  write  them- 
selves upon  it  with  ink;  the  good  fades,  and  is  for- 
gotten ;  the  evil  darkens  and  remains.  Your  sins  grow  : 
for  each  sin  you  once  committed,  you  commit  ten  now; 
every  sin  makes  the  next  sin  easier ;  every  sin  makes 
the  next  sin  blacker;  every  sin  makes  tne  number 
greater ;  every  sin  makes  the  load  hea\  ier.  Your 
disease  deepens ;  the  evil  that  once  shocked  you,  does 
not  now  surprise  you ;  the  deeds  which  once  burdened 
you,  do  not  now  distress  you ;  acts  of  sin  that  were  rare 
with  you  are  now  common ;  a  life  of  transgression  is 
to  you  at  last  become  familiar;  your  occasional  evil 
deeds  have  grown  into  evil  habits  ;  your  passions  have 
strengthened  by  indulgence ;  your  blushes  of  shame  at 
the  sight  of  sin  have  departed ;  your  reluctance  to 
yield  to  temptation  has  weakened;  your  feeble  resolu- 
tions against  a  life  of  iniquity  have  died.  Your  case 
has  become  every  week  more  hopeless ;  all  your  steps 
are  downward ;  each  act  widens  the  gulph  between 
you  and  heaven ;  each  deed  separates  you  still  more 
from  God;  each  hour  swells  the  number  of  lost  oppor- 


320       THE  GREEN  TREE  AND  THE  DRY. 

trinities  for  repentance ;  each  minute  shortens  the 
space  of  time  for  seeking  salvation.  Unless  God  har, 
mercy  upon  you  very  soon,  you  will  perish  for  ever. 

Look  again,  0  unconverted  man  or  woman,  at  that 
dry  tree.  Lift  up  its  bark,  and  behold  the  things  that 
crawl  beneath.  Turn  over  the  decaying  log,  and  see 
what  venomous  creatures  are  lying  there.  It  is  a  nest 
of  deadly  reptiles.  Sinner!  thou  art  that  dry  tree. 
There  is  one  thing  that  lives  in  you,  and  that  one  thing 
is  sin.  Who  can  tell  all  that  lies  underneath  the 
surface  of  your  appearance  ?  Who  knows  all  that  is 
hidden  in  your  breast  ?  None  but  God.  And  God,  who 
only  knows  all  that  is  in  man,  has  spoken  of  him  as  a 
*  cage  "  of  uncleanness,  as  a  "  chamber  "  of  evil  imagina- 
tions, and  as  a  "  sepulchre "  of  dark  and  loathsome 
thoughts.  Do  you  doubt  that  you  are  included  in  such 
descriptions  as  these?  Why  should  you  be  different 
from  ail  the  rest  of  the  world  ?  Has  God  changed  your 
heart,  or  has  your  heart  never  been  corrupted  ?  And 
if  your  heart  was  bad  from  its  birth,  and  has  been 
made  worse  every  year  since  by  the  corrupting  influ- 
ences of  the  world  and  the  devil,  and  has  never  been 
purified  and  renewed  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  how 
can  you  tell  what  amount  of  evil  it  contains  ?  How 
can  you  tell  what  it  harbours  ?  Turn  back  over  the 
dark  pages  of  man's  history  down  to  the  earliest  periods 
— read  the  records  of  man's  pride,  and  avarice,  and 
passion,  and  cruelty,  and  tell  me  where  the  evil  has  all 
come  from ;  turn  back  over  the  black  leaves  in  the 
thick  annals  of  the  world's  iniquity — read  the  tales  of 


THE  GEBEN  IEEE  AND  THE  DRY.  '32[ 

lust,  and  hate,  and  villany,  and  murder,  and  tell  me 
where  the  evil  has  all  come  from  ;  look  round  the  world 
at  the  open  crimes  and  secret  sins  of  nations  ;  measure, 
if  you  can,  the  breadth,  and  fathom,  if  you  can,  the 
depth  of  this  horrible  dead  sea  of  pollution ;  bring  to 
light,  if  you  can,  God's  roll  of  judgment,  and  count,  if 
you  can,  the  obscenities,  and  blasphemies,  and  untold 
sins  of  guilty  generations,  and  then  tell  me  where  all 
this  has  come  from  ?  Do  not  the  solemn  words  of  the 
Son  of  God  rise  up  in  your  remembrance — how  He 
who  knew  man  said,  "  Out  of  the  heart  proceed  evil 
thoughts,  murders,  adulteries,  fornications,  thefts,  false 
witness, blasphemies ? "  "  Out  of  the  heart ! "  "  Out  of  th s 
heart  /"  Oh,  the  heart !  the  heart !  0  sinner,  thy  heart ! 
THY  heart  !  "  Deceitful  above  all  things,  and  des- 
perately wicked/'  who  but  God  can  "know  it?"  Evil 
imaginations  are  there,  blasphemous  thoughts  are  there, 
unclean  desires  are  there,  hateful  propensities  are  there, 
deadly  passions  are  there.  Oh  !  who  but  God  can  know 
it  ?  Within  it  you  carry  about  all  the  materials  for 
Satan  to  work  upon  ;  and  if  he  were  only  permitted  to 
stir  up  the  whole  by  strong  temptations  into  deadly 
commotion,  you  would  assuredly  become  worse  than 
were  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  of  old. 

Look  again,  0  unconverted  man  or  woman,  at  that 
dry  tree.  Mark  the  space  it  occupies.  A  living  tree 
might  grow  upon  the  very  spot  where  it  stands,  if  it 
were  only  taken  away.  It  defiles  the  place  around  it. 
The  earth  groans  with  the  evil  burden.  It  is  a  "  cum- 
berer  of  the  ground."     Sinner!  thou  art  that  dry  tree. 

X 


322  THE  GREEN  TEEE  AND  THE  DRY. 

Multitudes  of  persons  are  blessings  where  they  live ; 
they  feel  the  world  around  them  is  perishing,  and  they 
labour  hard  for  its  salvation.  But  men  are  no  better 
for  your  presence  upon  earth  ;  you  are  no  real  good  to 
them.  You  may  do  something  for  men's  bodies,  but 
you  do  nothing  for  their  souls.  You  have  never  been 
made  an  everlasting  blessing  to  a  single  person ;  all 
your  work  will  die  with  time,  and  be  forgotten  in  eter- 
nity. Thousands  around  you  are  fruitful  trees  in  the 
garden  of  God  ;  they  bring  forth  ripe  faith,  and  tender 
love,  and  sweet  hope,  and  mellow  peace,  and  the  fruits 
of  joy  and  humility.  God  gathers  their  fruit  in  its 
season,  and  rewards  them  an  hundredfold.  But  you 
are  barren,  without  faith,  without  love,  without  hope, 
without  peace,  without  joy,  without  humility ;  you 
stand  unmindful  alike  of  God's  commands,  of  God's 
warnings,  and  of  God's  forbearance — a  withered  cum- 
berer  of  the  ground. 

But  the  evil  is  still  worse.  You  are  taking  up  the 
room  which  others  might  occupy  with  advantage  to  the 
world,  were  you  but  removed.  You,  for  one,  are  an 
attendant  upon  the  house  of  Gcd ;  you  occupy  a  seat 
in  a  crowded  j)lace  of  worship.  If  you  were  only  dead, 
another  might  sit  in  your  place,  and  listen  with  jDrofit 
to  the  preaching  of  God's  Word ;  another  might  kneel 
in  your  place,  and  send  up  such  prayers  to  God  as 
should  draw  down  the  Holy  Spirit  in  showers  from 
heaven.  But,  alas  !  it  cannot  be  while  you  are  there 
cumbering  the  ground. 

You  are  a  person  engaged  in  business ;  you  have 


TIIE  GEEEN  TF.EE  AND  THE  DRY.  828 

opportunities  for  serving  God,  which  you  habitually 
neglect.  If  you  were  but  dead,  some  one  else,  with  an 
eye  fixed  on  the  glory  of  God,  might  take  your  place, 
and  do  a  mighty  work  in  spreading  abroad  the  know- 
ledge of  the  gospel  among  the  perishing.  But,  alas ! 
you  already  occupy  the  room,  cumbering  the  ground. 

You  are  a  Sunday-school  teacher  ;  you  have  so  many 
immortal  souls  lent  to  you  to  train  for  heaven,  while 
all  the  time  you  are  in  the  way  to  hell.  If  you  were 
but  dead,  another  with  a  heart  cleansed  by  God's  Spirit, 
and  filled  with  God's  love,  might  take  your  place  upon 
the  Sabbath,  and  lead  your  neglected  charge  to  the 
fountain  opened  for  sin  and  uncleanness.  But,  alas ! 
you  stand  in  the  way,  cumbering  the  ground. 

You,  0  sinner,  are  a  parent ;  you  have  a  garden  to 
cultivate  for  God.  You  have  sat  still  while  the  weeds 
sprung  up,  and  the  flowers  faded  ;  you  have  watched 
the  poisonous  plants  of  evil  overrun  your  household ; 
the  daily  worship  of  God  is  either  a  lifeless  form  with 
you,  or  is  left  out  altogether.  Already  some  of  your 
family  have  faded  in  death,  and  you  have  buried  their 
dust,  not  knowing  whether  their  never-dying  spirits 
have  gone  to  God  or  no.  Oh,  if  you  were  but  dead, 
another  might  lead  these  unhappy  ones  to  the  throne 
of  mercy — another  might  guide  their  footsteps  in  the 
way  of  immortality !  But,  alas !  you  continue  there 
instead,  cumbering  the  ground. 

I  see  among  you  one  more  to  whom,  m  the  name  of 
God,  I  must  speak.  You  are  a  minister  ;  Sabbath  after 
Sabbath  you  speak  to  perishing  sinners  ;  Sabbath  after 


324       THE  GREEN  TREE  AND  THE  DRY. 

Sabbath  there  are  troubled  consciences,  and  bleeding 
hearts,  and  awakened  minds,  and  immortal  souls, 
gathered  round  you.  Month  after  month  passes  away, 
and  none  are  converted;  year  after  year  rolls  away, 
bearing  off  their  spirits  into  eternity.  Oh,  if  you  were 
but  dead,  another  might  stand  in  your  room,  preaching 
Christ  crucified  !  another  might  reclaim  the  wandering, 
and  bind  up  the  wounded,  and  lead  the  ignorant ! 
another  might  pray,  as  you  never  prayed,  and  bring 
down  God  from  heaven  to  visit  the  people  with  His 
salvation,  and  witness,  with  tears  of  gratitude,  the 
revival  of  real  religion  among  the  fresh  dead,  and  the 
long  dead,  and  the  twice  dead,  who  lie  unburied  around 
you  !  But,  alas !  you  stand  in  the  way,  cumbering  the 
ground. 

0  dead  sinners  !  dead  sinners !  ye  are  cumberers  of 
the  ground. 

Look  again,  0  unconverted  man  or  woman,  at  that 
dry  tree.  The  showers  that  soften  the  folded  buds,  and 
spread  open  the  tender  leaves  of  living  trees  in  spring- 
time, rain  down  upon  it  in  abundance  ;  but,  alas !  it  only 
rots  the  more.  The  sunshine  that  ripens  many  a  flower 
into  fruit,  and  sweetens  many  a  fruit  into  maturity, 
beams  down  upon  it  from  day  to  clay  ;  but,  alas !  it  only 
decays  the  faster.  Sinner  !  thou  art  that  dry  tree.  The 
gospel,  which  has  softened  many  hard  hearts,  has  made 
yours  more  callous.  You  were  not  always  as  you  are 
now  ;  you  used  to  feel  a  little  once  ;  but  the  longer  you 
listened  to  sermons  about  Christ  and  the  judgment  to 
come,  the  less  you  feared  the  wrath  of  God  and  loved 


THE  GREEN  TREE  AND  THE  DRY.       325 

the  story  of  redemption  ;  and  while  to  some  it  became 
"the  savour  of  life  unto  life,"  to  you  it  proved  "the 
savour  of  death  unto  death."  Others  have  been  plunged, 
by  the  hand  of  God,  into  the  furnace  of  affliction,  and 
melted  down  there,  until  they  could  be  moulded  into 
Christ's  likeness  ;  when  you  passed  through  it  you  were 
hardened  by  it,  and  broken,  and  deformed.  The  sweet 
invitations  of  Jesus  which,  with  their  almost  irresistible 
tenderness,  have  drawn  to  the  cross  the  souls  of  thou- 
sands, have  become  at  last  cheap  and  common  in  your 
sight.  What  preaching  can  now  move  you  ?  To  preach 
the  sin  and  ruin  of  man  makes  you  worse  than  before, 
for  you  become  more  responsible  and  more  unfeeling. 
To  preach  death  once  affected  you  to  tears ;  but  the 
terror  of  it  passed  across  your  mind  like  the  shadow  of 
a  cloud,  and  was  gone  again  directly  ;  now  the  preach- 
ing of  it,  and  the  sight  of  it,  and  the  anticipation  of  it, 
have  made  you  fearfully  indifferent  to  it.  To  preach 
heaven  used  to  move  you  to  some  faint  desires  after  an 
everlasting  rest ;  but  you  have  since  become  so  accus- 
tomed to  hear  it  preached  about,  without  being  led  to 
seek  it,  that  the  revelations  of  its  glory  have  now  lost 
their  power  over  you ;  the  very  word  "  heaven  "  has 
become  a  feeble  one,  and  the  thought  of  it  a  dream. 
To  preach  the  cross  once  filled  you  with  solemn  thoughts 
— you  felt  something  like  awe  and  tenderness  stealing 
over  you  at  the  sight  of  the  crucified  Redeemer,  but  no 
feelings  of  repentance  for  sin,  and  no  true  love  to  Him 
who  died  for  the  guilty ;  but  now  every  time  you  look 
upon  the  bleeding  wounds  of  Jesus,  your  heart  grows 


£26*  THE  GEEEN  TREE  AND  THE  DEY. 

harder  and  harder ;  you  cannot  weep,  you  cannot  sigh, 
you  cannot  love,  you  cannot  even  feel — you  only  think 
sadly  for  a  while,  and  then  turn  away  to  something  else, 
drowning  your  memory  of  the  sight,  and  your  wish  for 
salvation,  in  the  current  of  sin  and  vanity  down  which 
you  float  to  eternity.  Yes,  solemnly  and  sadly  I  say 
it,  all  God's  mercies  help  to  make  you  worse.  Like 
the  cross,  the  chief  of  all  His  gifts  to  you,  they  are 
"the  savour  of  death  unto  death."  Every  time  the 
heavy  hand  of  God  fell  upon  Pharaoh  in  judgment,  he 
felt  the  blow,  and  trembled  in  repentance  ;  but  every 
time  the  heavy  hand  of  God  was  withdrawn  in  mercy, 
he  felt  the  respite,  and  returned  to  his  rebellion.  Like 
him,  you  have  grown  used  to  God's  wonderful  long- 
suffering.  You  have  forgotten  that  every  day,  and 
every  hour,  the  heart-strings  of  His  forbearance  are  being 
stretched  and  strained  nearer  and  nearer  to  breaking. 
You  have  thought,  that  as  He  has  been  merciful  to  you 
in  the  past,  He  will  be  merciful  to  you  in  the  future. 
You  have  thought,  as  He  permitted  you  to  awake  from 
your  sleep  of  past  nights  in  health  and  safety,  that  so 
He  will  to-morrow  morning,  and  the  morning  after ; 
and  that,  therefore,  you  might  lie  down  in  peace,  and 
sleep  again,  and  again,  and  again,  without  the  fear  of 
awakening  from  slumber  to  find  yourself  in  the  torments 
of  hell.  Because  it  has  long  been  calm  with  you,  you 
fear  no  storm  ;  because  it  has  long  been  day,  you  fear 
no  night ;  because  your  life  still  lasts,  you  forget  death ; 
because  time  continues,  you  forget  eternity.  But  it 
shall  soon  be  over.     You  shall  soon  be  alive  and  awake 


THE  GBEEN  TREE  AND  THE  DRY.       327 

to  God.  You  shall  presently  find  yourself  in  His  palace 
of  delight  and  glory,  or,  which  is  more  likely,  in  His 
furnace  of  darkness  and  torment. 

Look  again,  0  unconverted  man  or  woman,  at  that 
dry  tree.  There  it  lies  decaying  ;  how  soon  it  will  be 
gone !  A  few  more  years,  or  months,  or  even  weeks, 
and  you  may  seek  for  it  in  vain.  The  little  dust  it 
leaves  shall  be  carried  away  by  winds,  or  soaked  down 
into  the  earth  by  rains.  The  fresh  grass  of  future 
spring-times  shall  cover  over  from  sight  the  spot  where 
it  lay.  It  shall  be  forgotten  for  ever.  Sinner !  thoic 
art  that  dry  tree.  Decay  has  set  in ;  you  are  partly 
gone  already.  Your  past  life  has  perished ;  your  pre- 
sent habitation,  the  body,  is  decaying  every  moment. 
Your  pulse  is  coming  to  its  stop ;  your  life  hastes  to 
its  close.  Sinner,  I  think  I  see  you  dying.  Your 
head  lies  heavily  upon  the  pillow ;  you  are  too  weak  to 
lift  yourself  up  in  the  bed  ;  your  breathing  is  feverish 
and  faint ;  your  lips  are  dry  and  open  ;  your  eyes  are 
bloodshot  and  dim  ;  a  haze,  a  darkness  falls  upon  you  ; 
the  shadow  of  death  crosses  your  pale  face  ;  you  are 
strangely  still ;  you  become  stiff ;  you  grow  cold  ;  you 
are  dead.  All  night  long  your  body  lies  without  a  stir 
in  the  cold,  undisturbed  bed  ;  early  the  light  shines  in 
again,  but  no  morning  comes  to  you.  Wrapped  in 
white,  you  are  lifted  into  the  coffin ;  a  cloth  covers 
your  face  from  the  light  of  day.  The  hours  and  the  light 
steal  away  in  silence.  You  are  carried  through  the 
streets  beneath  a  pall,  and  lowered  into  the  grave ;  you 
are  buried  out  of  the  sight  of  all  the  world.      The 


828       THE  GREEN  TEEE  AND  THE  DRY. 

weeks  roil  on ;  the  tears  wept  for  you  are  wiped 
away ;  the  green  weeds  creep  across  your  grave.  The 
years  roll  on ;  another  sleeps  at  night  in  the  bed 
where  you  lay  a  corpse,  and  never  thinks  of  it ;  all  who 
remembered  you  depart  into  eternity ;  the  place  knows 
you  no  more;  time  wipes  out  your  name  from  the 
gravestone  ;  your  history,  your  joys,  your  sorrows,  your 
deeds,  your  name,  and  the  place  where  you  lay  in  death, 
are  all  alike  forgotten.  The  last  age  of  time  rolls  to  its 
end.  The  trumpet  sounds !  You  awake  and  stand  be- 
fore the  bar  of  judgment.  You  are  condemned ;  God 
curses  you.  The  everlasting  grave  opens  beneath  you ; 
the  gates  of  darkness  close  above  you ;  you  sink  into 
blackness  and  torment.  Eternity  rolls  on.  The  songs 
of  the  innumerable  redeemed  still  swell  and  echo  around 
the  throne  of  God  the  same  as  ever ;  and  you  are  lying 
in  your  agony — forgotten.  You  have  not  one  friend 
to  stand  up  before  the  throne,  and  say,  "  0  God,  have 
mercy  now  upon  that  lost  sinner."  The  waves  of  suc- 
cessive ages  of  misery  flow  and  ebb  upon  the  shores  of 
your  eternity,  but  it  abides  unchanged,  and  rolls  in 
tide  after  tide  of  torment  upon  your  soul  from  the 
dark  and  endless  future.  You  are  lost !  You  are 
damned !     You  are  forgotten  for  ever  and  ever ! 

0  Jesus  !  Son  of  the  most  high  God !  have  mercy 
upon  perishing  sinners.  Who  among  us  can  answer 
Thine  awful  question — "  What  shall  be  done  in  the  dry  ?" 
Lord  !  judgment  shall  be  done  in  the  dry  ;  hell  shall  be 
done  in  the  dry.  We  know  no  more.  But,  0  Lord, 
canst  not  Thou  who  didst  raise  dry  bones  quicken  us? 


THE  GREEN  TREE  AND  THE  DRY.       329 

Oh,  speak  to  us  as  Thou  didst  speak  to  the  dead  of  old ! 
Curse  us  not,  as  Thou  didst  curse  the  barren  tree,  though 
we  are  worse  than  barren.  But  oh,  bless  us,  as  Thou 
hast  blessed  thousands  of  poor  penitents  who  have  knelt 
and  wept  before  Thee  in  their  misery ;  and  as  we  are 
not  damned,  but  still  spared,  may  we  be  now  forgiven, 
and  finally  saved !  and  we  shall  love  Thee,  and  obey 
Thee,  and  praise  Thee,  and  bless  Thee,  for  ever  and 
ever. 

Before  I  conclude,  I  would  give  you  all  a  word  of 
warning,  and  a  word  of  encouragement.  Remember,  0 
unconverted  man  or  woman,  that  this  fearful  question, 
"What  shall  be  done  in  the  dry?"  remains  still  un- 
answered. Remember  that  it  is  not  a  question  that 
man  can  answer.  Remember  that  no  creature  in  heaven 
or  earth  could  answer  it  fully  in  any  length  of  time. 
Remember  that  it  will  take  God  all  eternity  fully  to 
answer  it,  in  the  everlasting  punishment  of  the  lost. 
Its  answer  is  a  great  deep  of  torment,  across  the  dark- 
ness of  which  a  gleam  of  fearful  light  is  thrown  by  the 
first  part  of  the  question,  "  If  they  do  these  things  in  a 
green  tree,  what  shall  be  done  in  the  dry  V*  I  see  the 
meaning  of  that  light.  It  shews  me  the  black  edge  of 
unfathomable  and  endless  misery.  I  say  it  shews  me 
that.  I  see  hell ;  I  cannot  any  more  be  blind  to  it 
As  certain  as  I  see  the  sufferings  of  Jesus,  I  see  the 
sufferings  of  the  lost.  I  can  doubt  no  more.  As  sure 
as  there  was  a  cross  for  Christ,  there  is  a  hell  for  sinners. 
It  reveals  to  me  that  there  is  more  to  be  told  about 
future  misery  than  has  been  told,  and  that  there  is  more 


'  30  THE  GREEN  TEBE  AND  THE  DEY. 

to  be  told  than  can  be  told  ;  but  it  reveals  no  more.  I 
can  only  turn  from  the  cross  of  Christ  to  hell,  and  from 
hell  to  the  cross  of  Christ,  and  ponder  over  the  unan- 
swerable question — "  If  they  do  these  things  in  a  green 
tree,  what  shall  be  done  in  the  dry  V  I  see  a  wondrous 
difference  between  the  green  tree  and  the  dry,  and  I  see 
an  awful  difference  between  the  judgment  of  the  green 
tree  and  the  judgment  of  the  dry.  But  though  the 
difference  between  both,  and  the  judgment  of  both, 
seems  to  me  so  broad  and  dark,  yet  I  know  I  see  but 
little  of  that  difference  as  it  really  is.  I  cannot  tell 
how  holy  Jesus  is,  and  I  cannot  tell  how  vile  sinners 
are.  I  cannot  tell  how  lovely  in  the  sight  of  God  Jesus 
is,  and  I  cannot  tell  how  hideous  in  the  sight  of  God 
sinners  are.  I  cannot  tell  how  awful  were  the  suffer- 
ings of  Jesus,  and  I  cannot  tell  how  awful  are  the 
sufferings  of  the  lost.  But  this  much  I  know  :  if  what 
Christ  suffered  is  unspeakable,  what  they  will  suffer  is 
inconceivable.  This  much  I  see :  that  if  God  did  not 
spare  the  Holy  One,  when  He  bore  the  sins  of  the 
guilty,  He  will  much  less  spare  the  unholy  millions, 
when  they  bear  their  own  guilt.  This  much  I  under- 
stand :  that  if  God  spared  not  His  own  Son,  when  He 
stood  in  the  room  of  sinners,  He  will  much  less  spare 
His  rebellious  creatures,  when  they  stand  in  their  sins 
before  Him.  This  much  I  am  certain  of  :  that  if  God 
so  bruised  Him  in  whom  He  was  "  well  pleased "  for 
the  sin  of  others,  He  will  much  more  bruise  those  with 
whom  He  "  is  angry  every  day/'  for  their  own  sin. 
The  day  of  Christ's  crucifixion  was  fearful ;  but  the 


THE  GEEEN  TREE  AND  THE  DRY.  331 

day  of  judgment  will  be  more  fearful.  The  pains  of 
Jesus  were  terrible ;  but  the  pains  of  sinners  will  be 
more  terrible.  Death  eased  the  sufferings  of  Jesus, 
steeped  His  torn  and  bleeding  spirit  in  the  sweet  quiet 
of  oblivion,  and  ended  all  His  agony ;  death  comes 
not  to  the  damned — they  seek  it,  but  find  it  not.  And 
lastly  :  the  sorrows  of  Christ  were  but  temporal,  where- 
as the  torments  of  the  damned  shall  be  eternal.  As 
dry  fuel  to  the  flames,  so  shall  they  be  to  the  wrath  of 
God.  As  the  bush  that  burned,  yet  was  not  consumed, 
so  shall  they  suffer,  yet  endure — so  shall  they  die,  yet 
live.  For  it  is  written,  "  Our  God  is  a  consuming  fire  ;" 
and  again,  "  Whosoever  was  not  found  written  in  the 
book  of  life,  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire  ;"  and  again, 
"  There  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  there  their  fire  is  not 
quenched." 

Sinner !  lest  while  you  sleep  upon  the  brink  of  hell, 
you  should  be  dreaming  that  you  are  religious,  I 
solemnly  warn  you.  You  may  call  yourself  a  Chris- 
tian— you  may  make  the  Bible  the  pillow  on  which  you 
sleep  ;  but  I  tell  you  that  within  that  book  beneath 
your  head  is  written  the  dark  prophecy  of  your  future 
destruction.  Within  that  book  on  which  you  slumber 
are  the  words,  "  There  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  there 
their  fire  is  not  quenched."  Eeject  my  warning  if  you 
will,  and  sleep  on;  a  few  more  hours,  and  all  shall  be 
revealed. 

Penitent,  a  word  to  thee.  In  my  bitter  text  there 
is  some  sweetness  for  thee.  Penitent,  if  they  have  done 
these  things  in  the  green  tree,  why  should  you  die? 


832       THE  GREEN  TREE  AND  TEE  DRY. 

If  Jesus  died,  why  should  not  you  live  ?  .  What  if  He 
died  for  you !  What  if  the  cross  of  Christ  become 
your  salvation  !  And  why  should  it  not  be  so  ?  Is  it 
not  written,  "  As  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the 
wilderness,  even  so  must  the  Son  of  man  be  lifted  up; 
that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  nob  perish,  but 
have  eternal  life  V  Is  there  any  need  that  you  should 
perish  ?  Christ  has  died  !  Is  it  any  longer  impossible 
that  you  should  have  eternal  life  ?  Christ  has  died ! 
Yea,  Christ  has  died  "  that  whosoever  believeth  in  It  im 
should  not  i^erish,  but  have  eternal  life  I"  Sinner, 
there  is  hope  !  You  may  be  saved  !  The  prayers  and 
blood  of  Jesus  intercede  for  you  with  God ! 

" '  Father/  he  cries,  '  forgive  their  sins, 
For  I  myself  have  died ; ' 
And  then  He  shews  His  open'd  veina^ 
And  pleads  His  wounded  side." 

"Only  believe,"  and  LIVE  FOR  EVER  I 


SERMON  XV. 


SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN. 

Isaiah  xliii.  25. 

"  I,  even  I,  am  he  that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions  for  mine 
own  sake,  and  will  not  remember  thy  sins." 

In  setting  diamonds,  the  jeweller  often  spreads  beneath 
them  a  dark  substance,  in  order  to  throw  out  and 
heighten  their  brilliancy.  So  the  Lord,  in  setting  this 
"exceeding  great  and  precious"  diamond  of  a  promise, 
has  spread  beneath  it  the  blackness  of  our  sins,  in 
order  to  throw  out  and  heighten  the  brightness  of  its 
glory.  Read  from  the  twenty-second  verse — "  But  thou 
hast  not  called  upon  me,  0  Jacob  ;  but  thou  hast  been 
weary  of  me,  0  Israel.  Thou  hast  not  brought  me  the 
small  cattle  of  thy  burnt-offerings ;  neither  hast  thou 
honoured  me  with  thy  sacrifices.  I  have  not  caused 
thee  to  serve  with  an  offering,  nor  wearied  thee  with 
incense.  Thou  hast  bought  me  no  sweet  cane  with 
money,  neither  hast  thou  tilled  me  with  the  fat  of  thy 
sacrifices :  but  thou  hast  made  me  to  serve  with  thy 


334  SIN  FOIiOIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN. 

sins,  thou  hast  wearied  me  with  thine  iniquities.  I, 
even  I,  am  he  that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions  for 
mine  own  sake,  and  will  not  remember  thy  sins/' 
Here  is  grace  abounding  to  the  chief  of  sinners  ;  and 
grace  abounding  to  the  glory  of  God.  The  Lord  begins 
by  telling  us  our  sins.  We  must  first  be  cast  down, 
and  then  comforted.  He  tells  us  what  we  have  not 
done :  we  have  not  called  upon  Him  in  prayer ; 
we  have  not  presented  to  Him  offerings  in  gratitude ; 
we  have  not  honoured  Him  by  presenting  ourselves  to 
Him  as  living  sacrifices  ;  and  we  have  not  burned  before 
Him  the  sweet  incense  of  praise.  Then  He  tells  us 
what  we  have  done.  We  have  been  weary  of  Him  ; 
we  have  made  Him  to  serve  with  our  sins ;  and  we 
have  wearied  Him  with  our  iniquities.  Then  the  Lord 
tells  us  what  He  has  not  done  to  us  :  He  has  not  caused 
us  to  serve  with  offerings ;  and  He  has  not  wearied  us 
with  incense.  And  lastly,  He  tells  us  what  He  does 
for  us — "  I,  even  I,  am  He  that  blotteth  out  thy  trans- 
gressions for  mine  own  sake,  and  will  not  remember 
thy  sins." 

These  words  were  written  for  sinners — for  sinners, 
even  the  chief.  0  my  clear  friends,  do  you  feel  your- 
selves to  be  such?  Are  we  not  all  such?  Though 
God  may  never  have  made  us  to  serve  in  His  cause, 
have  we  not  made  Him  to  serve  with  our  sins  ?  Though 
God  has  never  wearied  us  with  His  praises,  have  we 
not  wearied  Him  with  our  iniquities  ?  And  shall  we 
not  mourn  for  our  past  sin  in  weariness  and  heaviness 
of  soul,  and  serve  our  God  in  humilitv  and  love  for  the 


SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN.  335 

future  ?  Oh,  do  we  repent  ?  The  Bible  was  written 
for  penitents !  This  blessed  text  is  for  penitents  !  Are 
we  penitents?  May  the  Lord  call  our  sins  to  our 
remembrance  !  May  the  Lord  lay  our  sins  upon  our 
consciences  !  May  the  Lord  burden  us  mercifully,  and 
then  relieve  us  mercifully !  May  the  Lord  cause  us  to 
weep  in  bitter  repentance,  and  then  wipe  our  tears 
away  with  sweet  forgiveness — "  I,  even  I,  am  He  that 
blotteth  out  thy  transgressions  for  mine  own  sake,  and 
will  not  remember  thy  sins." 

In  meditating  upon  these  words,  we  shall  divide  the 
subject  into  four  parts.  First,  Free  grace  blots  out  our 
transgressions  from-  God's  book;  secondly,  with  God's 
hand;  thirdly,  for  God's  sake;  and  fourthly,  from 
God's  memory. 

I.  Free  grace  blots  out  our  transgressions  from 
God's  book. 

Sometimes,  in  returning  to  a  place  where  I  have 
preached  before,  I  have  been  surprised  to  find  that  my 
previous  sermons  have  been,  without  my  knowledge, 
reported  in  the  papers,  and  given  in  print  to  the  public. 
This  has  ofcen  led  me  on  a  step  further,  to  think  how 
that  all  the  sermons  I  preach  are  taken  down  by  the 
invisible  hand  of  a  great,  ever-present  Reporter ;  and 
on  still  further,  to  reflect  on  the  solemn  fact,  that  all  the 
words  I  speak  in  private,  as  well  as  in  public,  and  all 
the  thoughts  that  rise  within  or  pass  across  my  mind, 
whether  they  are  uttered  or  unuttered,  utterable  or  un- 
utterable, are  recorded  in  the  great  judgment-book  of 
the  Almighty.     If  you  think  at  all,  these  words  cannot 


:)3(5  SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN. 

fail  to  lead  you  on,  every  one  of  you,  to  perceive  the 
solemn  work  that  is  secretly  carried  on,  from  moment 
to  moment,  and  age  to  age,  throughout  the  whole  world, 
by  the  great  Searcher  of  men's  hearts  ;  to  perceive  the 
sleepless  eye  of  the  Eternal  burning  through  the  dark- 
ness with  which  He  shrouds  the  glory  of  His  counte- 
nance, down  into  the  lowest  depths  of  your  thoughts 
and  feelings  ;  and  to  perceive  the  restless  and  unwearied 
hand  of  never-ceasing  watchfulness  recording,  in  the 
book  of  everlasting  remembrance,  all  that  the  eye  of 
Omniscience  observes,  and  all  that  shall  be  revealed  in 
the  coming  judgment.  Whether  you  perceive  these 
things  or  not,  solemnly  I  tell  every  one  of  you,  that 
there  is  not  a  thought  of  childhood,  a  sin  of  youth,  a 
passion  of  maturity,  or  an  act,  or  feeling,  or  imagination 
in  your  entire  life's  history  that  is  not  written,  as  with 
a  pen  of  iron,  and  the  point  of  a  diamond,  in  the  living 
book  of  the  memory  of  God :  written  so  indelibly,  that 
not  all  the  efforts  of  man,  or  changes  of  time,  can  dim 
or  efface  the  record  ;  written  so  indelibly,  that  if  any  of 
you  go  down  to  hell,  against  you  there  shall  remain 
that  fearful  writing  while  eternity  endures.  Far  beyond 
your  reach,  upon  the  white  throne  of  the  Eternal,  lies 
this  dark  record  of  the  world's  crimes  and  your  own ; 
and  never  shall  that  book  be  opened  to  you  and  to  the 
universe,  until  the  trumpet  calls  the  quick  and  dead  to 
judgment.  Oh,  then,  if  this  be  so — and  without  a  doubt 
it  is — what  peace  is  there  left  for  any  of  us  during  the 
remainder  of  our  lives  ?  What  have  we  but  a  fearful 
looking  forward  to  of  judgment?    What  hope  is  there 


SIN  F0KG1VEN  AND  FORGOTTEN.  337 

left  for  any  one  of  us  in  the  hour  of  our  death  ?  What 
have  we  but  the  prospect  of  eternal  torments  ?  Here 
are  our  sins ;  there,  with  God,  is  the  record  of  them ; 
none  can  enter  heaven  but  the  pure ;  none  of  us  can 
blot  out  the  history  in  heaven  of  his  having  been  im- 
pure ;  none  of  us,  therefore,  can  hope  to  dwell  ih  heaven 
with  the  holy.  Is  it  not  so  ?  All  of  us  must  be  sent 
to  hell  with  the  wicked.  Is  it  not  so  ?  Oh,  glory  be 
to  God !  no,  it  is  not !  The  windows  of  everlasting 
love  are  opened  ;  down  through  the  black  clouds  of  sin, 
and  sorrow,  and  despair,  shines  the  clear  light  of  sove- 
reign grace,  and  sounds  the  sweet  voice  of  sovereign 
mercy !  "  I,  even  I,  am  He  that  blotteth  out  thy  trans- 
gressions for  mine  own  sake,  and  will  not  remember 
thy  sins/'  "I!  even  I!" — it  is  the  voice  of  God! — ■ 
"  am  He  that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions ! " — it  is 
the  voice  of  pardon  !  Glory  to  God,  free  grace  blotteth 
out  our  transgressions  from  God's  book  for  ever  !  Let 
the  heavens  and  the  earth  be  filled  with  its  praises ! 
Ay !  before  man  sinned,  there  was  a  Lamb  slain  for  his 
salvation ;  slain  in  the  purpose  of  the  immutable  God 
before  the  foundation  of  the  world  ;  and  now  He  who 
hath  loved  us  hath  washed  us  in  this  blood,  and  made 
us  kings  and  priests  to  Himself  for  ever  and  ever  ? 

0  thou  whose  heart  has  been  renewed  by  the 
Sf)irit,  and  whose  sins  have  been  forgiven  by  the  grace 
of  the  sovereign  Jehovah,  what  transgression  now  re- 
maineth  in  His  book  recorded  against  thee  ?  Behold, 
He  hath  turned  back  over  the  pages  to  the  place  where 
the  first  sins  of  your  childhood  were  written,  and  dip- 

y 


338  SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN. 

ping  His  hand  in  the  blood  of  Jesus,  hath  gone  over 
line  after  line,  leaving  nought  behind  but  the  scarlet 
stain  of  redemption  !  Behold,  He  hath  gone  over  leaf 
after  leaf  where  the  sins  of  your  youth  were  written, 
and  dipping  His  hand  in  the  blood  of  Jesus,  hath 
covered  every  word  and  every  letter  with  the  red  mark 
of  atonement !  Behold,  He  hath  gone  over  page  after 
page  where  the  iniquities  of  your  riper  years  have  been 
recorded,  and  dipping  His  hand  in  the  blood  of  Jesus, 
hath  blotted  out  the  black  multitude  of  your  transgres- 
sions, covering  them  with  the  crimson  tide  of  eternal 
oblivion  !  And  now  there  is  not  an  eye  that  can,  within 
that  book,  detect  a  solitary  trace  of  the  dark  history  of 
your  past  iniquities  ;  upon  every  leaf  nought  is  to  be 
seen  but  the  atoning  blood  of  Jesus.  Ah,  Christian ! 
if  thy  sins  are  all  blotted  out  of  His  book,  it  is  not  much 
matter  in  what  other  they  may  be  written.  Let  them 
find  out  the  tale  of  thy  guilt  if  they  will,  and  give  it  in 
print  to  the  world ;  the  day  is  coming  in  which  every 
letter  of  it  shall  be  burned  up  in  the  last  great  fire,  and 
then  there  shall  be  nothing  left  on  record  to  thy  charge. 
0  Christian  !  this  is  forgiveness  ! 

What  a  sweet  word  that,  forgiveness  !  Do  you  not 
love  it  ?  Everlasting  forgiveness  !  Oh,  what  a  pure, 
flowing  river  of  cleansing !  Oh,  what  a  soft  rest  for 
the  weary !  Oh,  what  a  clear  dawning  of  daylight ! 
Oh,  what  a  great  calm !  Oh,  what  a  heaven  !  For- 
giveness !  yes,  this  is  it — "  I,  even  I,  am  he  that  blot- 
teth  out  thy  transgressions  for  mine  own  sake,  and  will 
not  remember  thy  sins  I"     And  now  that  thou  art  for- 


SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN.  339 

given,  thou  art  "in  Christ  Jesus  ;"  to  thee  "  there  is  no 
condemnation;"  over  thee  sin  shall  no  more  "have 
dominion;"  and  on  thee  "the  second  death  hath  no 
power." 

"  The  law  proclaims  no  terrors  now, 
And  Sinai's  thunders  roar  no  more ; 
From  Jesus  wounds  sweet  blessings  flow — 
A  sea  of  joy  without  a  shore  ! 

"  Here  have  we  wash'd  our  deepest  stains, 

And  cleansed  our  wounds  with  heavenly  blood ; 
Blest  fountain  !  springing  from  the  veins 
Of  Jesus,  our  incarnate  God  ! " 

Oh,  blessed  forgiveness!  Where  are  our  past  sins  now? 
Gone  for  ever !  Where  our  condemnation  ?  Where  our 
fears  of  death  ?  Where  our  terrors  at  the  thought  of 
j  udgment  ?  He  who  hath  loved  us  and  washed  us  in 
His  own  blood,  will  walk  with  us  upon  the  waves  of 
life,  will  walk  with  us  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow 
of  death,  will  walk  with  us  in  the  fiery  furnace  of  judg- 
ment, and,  when  all  our  sorrows  are  over,  will  walk 
with  us  through  the  new  heavens  and  new  earth,  will 
walk  with  us  in  white  garments  in  the  new  Jerusalem, 
and  will  lead  us  to  fountains  of  living  water,  and  will 
wipe  all  our  tears  away !  We  are  redeemed  with  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb  ;  and  while  we  linger  upon  earth, 
underneath  us  shall  be  the  everlasting  arms,  and  above 
us  shall  be  the  overshadowing  wings ;  when  we  stand 
in  the  judgment,  upon  us  shall  be  the  blood-red  mark 
of  salvation — the  angel  of  destruction  shall  pass  us 
with  a  blessing ;  and  when  we  sing  before  the  throne, 
written  in  our  foreheads  shall  be  the  name  of  the  Re- 


340  SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FOEGOTTEN. 

cleemer — on  every  brow  shall  be  written  "Jesus  ;"  and 
our  song  shall  be,  "  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain 
to  have  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength, 
and  honour,  and  glory,  and  blessing;"  and  we  shall 
reign  with  Him  for  ever  and  ever ! 

II.  Free  grace  blots  out  our  transgressions  with 
God's  hand. 

Our  "  salvation  is  of  the  Lord."  "  Whom  He  did 
foreknow,  He  also  did  predestinate  to  be  conformed  to 
the  image  of  his  Son,  that  he  might  be  the  first-born 
among  many  brethren.  Moreover  whom  He  did  pre- 
destinate, them  He  also  called ;  and  whom  He  called, 
them  He  also  justified  ;  and  whom  He  justified,  them 
He  also  glorified."  Justification,  which  is  one  of  God's 
middle  acts  in  our  salvation,  coming  between  eternal 
foreknowledge  and  everlasting  glory,  is  altogether  the 
work  of  God.  It  is  true  we  are  justified  when  we 
believe  in  Jesus — just  as  the  Israelite  was  healed  of  his 
disease  when  he  looked  to  the  brazen  serpent.  But 
just  as  it  was  God  who  cured  the  Israelite  when  he 
looked  to  the  uplifted  serpent,  and  not  his  mere  act 
of  looking ;  so  it  is  God  who  justifies  us  when  we  be- 
lieve in  Jesus,  not  our  mere  act  of  faith — "  Whom  He 
called,  them  He  also  justified/'  At  the  same  time,  we 
must  believe  in  Jesus,  or  we  cannot  be  justified — -just 
as  the  Israelite  was  not  cured  without  looking  to  the 
brazen  serpent.  God  justifies  us  by  faith,  not,  I  believe, 
because  there  is  anything  in  our  faith  to  merit  forgive- 
ness, but  because  He  would  have  our  salvation  entirely 
of  grace.     "Therefore  it  is  of  faith,  that  it  might  be 


SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN.  341 

by  grace."  Let  people  say  what  they  will,  they  cannot 
set  aside  these  two  truths — "  It  is  God  that  justifieth," 
and,  '  By  grace  we  are  saved."  I  know  that  these  are 
disagreeable  doctrines  to  some  of  you  ;  but  I  also  know 
that  if  you  once  understood  them  clearly,  and  received 
them  spiritually,  they  would  become  to  you  some  of 
the  sweetest  truths  in  the  whole  Bible. 

0  Christian !  free  grace  blotteth  out  your  transgres- 
sions with  God's  hand  !  With  Gods  hand  !  Why,  this  is 
the  very  thing  that  brings  the  believer  comfort !  Look, 
what  hand  is  this  ?  What  hand  but  the  recording  hand  ! 
Is  not  this  the  hand  that  wrote  all  your  sins  in  the  book 
of  remembrance  ?  Is  not  this  the  hand  that  never  rested 
day  after  day  in  its  dreadful  work — that  wrote  on,  week 
after  week,  and  month  after  month,  and  year  after  year, 
until  the  measure  of  your  iniquities  was  well-nigh  full, 
and  the  measure  of  His  forbearance  well-nigh  empty — 
that  wrote  on  until  the  record  grew  blacker  and  blacker, 
and  Almighty  vengeance  could  scarcely  suffer  you  any 
longer  to  live  ?  And  is  this  the  hand  that  blots  out 
your  transgressions  ?  What  saith  the  Lord  ?  "  I,  even 
I,  am  he  that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions/'  He  points 
you  to  Himself.  He  seems  to  say — "I,  even  I,  who 
watched  your  ways  ;  I,  even  I,  who  saw  all  your  sins  ; 
I,  even  I,  who  recorded  them  all  against  you  ;  I  am  He 
who  blots  them  out  for  ever  I"  Is  not  this  strong  con- 
solation ? 

Think  again.  What  hand  is  this  that  blots  out  your 
transgressions  ?  What  hand  but  the  hand  of  Him 
against  whom  you  have  offended  !     I  do  not  deny  that 


342  SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FOKGOTTEN. 

you  have  often,  by  your  sins,  injured  your  fellow-crea- 
tures. At  the  same  time,  all  your  sins  have  been 
committed  against  God.  You  know  that  David  sinned 
grievously  against  Uriah  and  his  wife.  Yet  when  he 
comes  to  God's  throne  of  mercy,  and  begins  to  confess 
his  transgressions,  he  says — "  Against  Thee,  Thee  only, 
have  I  sinned,  and  done  this  evil  in  Thy  sight."  And 
oh !  how  sweetly  the  words  of  God's  forgiveness  har- 
monise with  the  words  of  the  penitent's  confession. 
Do  you  say  to  God,  "  Against  Thee,  Thee  only,  have  I 
sinned  ?"  Then  God  says  to  you,  u  I,  even  I,  am  He 
that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions."  0  pardoned 
sinner,  look  hither  and  behold  what  a  contrast  there  is 
in  all  this  between  your  ways  and  God's.  You  have 
despised  His  authority  ;  you  have  forsaken  His  service ; 
you  have  broken  His  laws  ;  you  have  defied  His  justice  ; 
you  have  grieved  His  Spirit ;  you  have  crucified  His 
Son :  but  you  have  not  worn  out  His  patience,  or 
turned  away  His  love.  You  angered  Him  by  your 
sins  ;  but  there  was  sorrow  mixed  with  His  anger — 
there  were  tears  of  compassion  mingled  with  the  red 
river  of  His  wrath.  How  could  He  slay  you,  0  Israel  ? 
How  could  He  make  you  as  Admah  and  Zeboini  ?  His 
repentings  were  kindled  together,  His  love  burned  as  a 
fire  within  Him — the  fire  burned  within  Him,  and  He 
cried,  "  0  Israel,  thou  hast  destroyed  thyself  ;  but  in 
me  is  thine  help."  "I,  even  I,  against  whom  you  have 
sinned  ;  I,  even  I,  who  have  been  angry  with  you  every 
day ;  I,  even  I,  who  have  been  grieved  with  you  con- 
tinually, who  have  been  wounded  and  pierced  by  your 


BIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN.  343 

iniquities,  I  am  He  that  blotteth  out  your  transgres- 
sions for  mine  own  sake,  and  will  not  remember  your 
sins  I"  Oh,  how  wonderful  all  this  is  !  What  guilt 
in  the  offender  !  What  love  in  the  offended  !  What 
joy,  and  purity,  and  mystery,  in  their  reconciliation  ! 
What  wonders  in  it  all !  Look  !  here  is  the  offender 
praying  to  the  offended,  and  the  offended  punishing 
the  inoffending,  and  the  inoffending  reconciling  the 
offender  and  the  offended  ;  and  the  sins  of  the  offender, 
and  the  anger  of  the  offended,  and  the  sorrows  of  the 
inoffending,  all  drowned  and  forgotten  in  the  love  and 
delight  of  their  everlasting  reconciliation  ! 

Think  again.  What  hand  is  this  that  blots  out  your 
transgressions  ?  What  hand  but  the  rejected  hand  ! 
Is  not  this  the  hand  that  was  stretched  out  in  kindness 
to  thee  when  thou  wast  a  feeble  infant,  that  rocked 
thee  to  thy  slumbers,  and  wiped  thy  first  tears  away  ? 
Is  not  this  the  hand  that  laid  before  thee  the  open 
Bible  when  thou  wast  a  little  child,  and  led  thee  oft- 
times  to  the  feet  of  mercy  at  the  hour  of  prayer  ?  But 
ah  !  didst  thou  not,  as  a  child,  reject  its  guidance,  and 
follow  instead  thine  evil  inclinations  ?  And  when  years 
had  passed  away,  and  thou  wast  older,  did  not  this 
hand  kindly  lay  the  burden  of  thy  sin  upon  thy  con- 
science, and  strive  to  draw  thee  with  thy  load  of  sorrows 
to  the  cross,  and  didst  thou  not  shake  off  its  grasp,  and 
cast  it  from  thee  ?  And  when  again  it  laid  thee  upon 
the  bed  of  suffering,  and  brought  thy  sins  to  thy  re- 
membrance, and  troubled  thee  with  fearful  thoughts  of 
death  and  judgment,  and  recorded  thy  resolutions  of 


344  SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN. 

amendment,  and  then  raised  thee  from  affliction,  and 
restored  thy  strength,  didst  thou  not  struggle  to  free 
thyself  from  its  restraint,  and  stiffen  thy  neck  against 
it,  and  return  to  thy  rebellion  ?  And  can  this  be  the 
hand  that  blots  out  thy  transgressions  ?  Hear  the 
voice  of  the  Lord — "  I,  even  I,  am  He  that  blotteth  out 
thy  transgressions  ! "  As  if  he  said — "  I,  even  I,  whose 
unceasing  kindness  you  have  disregarded ;  I,  even  I, 
whose  tender  strivings  you  have  resisted;  I,  even  I, 
whose  compassionate  love  you  have  slighted;  I,  even 
I,  whose  merciful  offers  you  have  rejected ;  I  am  He 
that  for  ever  blotteth  out  your  transgressions  !"  Oh, 
unutterable  love  !  God's  rejected  hand,  dyed  with  the 
blood  of  His  beloved,  draws  the  guilty  wanderer  to  His 
bosom  !  Oh,  it  is  God,  it  is  the  compassionate,  it  is 
the  merciful  One,  it  is  the  great  Being  of  Love  that 
justifieth  !  all  of  grace  !  all  of  grace  ! 

Think  again.  What  hand  is  this  that  blots  out  your 
transgressions  ?  What  hand  but  the  avenging  hand  ! 
Is  not  this  the  hand  that  broke  open  the  fountains  of 
the  deep,  and  flooded  the  world  ?  Is  not  this  the  hand 
that  jDoured  brimstone  and  fire  upon  the  cities  of  the 
plain  ?  Is  not  this  the  hand  that  smote  Pharaoh  and 
his  hosts  with  plagues,  and  drowned  them  in  the  sea  ? 
Is  not  this  the  hand  that  slew  the  armies  of  Amalek, 
and  Sennacherib,  and  the  Philistines,  and  the  nations 
that  opposed  Israel — that  slew  Korah,  Dathan,  Abiram, 
Hophni,  Phineas,  the  four  hundred  and  fifty  prophets 
of  Baal,  and  thousands  of  Israelites  for  their  iniqui- 
ties— that  washed  the  streets  of  Jerusalem  with  the 


SIN  FO II  GIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN.  3  fc5 

blood  of  Christ's  murderers,  burning  the  city,  and  scat- 
tering the  remnant  of  the  nation  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth  ?  Is  not  this  the  hand  that  hath  swept  away 
whole  kingdoms  with  pestilence  and  sword — that  hath 
carried,  with  the  flood  of  death,  one  hundred  and  eighty 
generations  of  sinners  into  eternity — that  hath  lit  for 
devils  and  the  damned  the  fires  of  all  hell — and  that 
shall  break  open  the  graves  of  the  dead,  roll  up  the 
heavens  as  a  scroll,  burn  the  world,  cast  the  accursed 
into  the  gulph  of  torments,  and  shut  upon  them  the 
gates  of  death  for  ever  ?  And  is  this  the  hand  that 
blots  out  our  transgressions  ?  Oh,  it  is  wonderful ! 
Hear  the  voice  of  the  Lord — "/,  even  I,  am  He  that 
blotteth  out  thy  transgressions  !"  He  points  us  to 
Himself — "  I,  even  I,  that  have  blotted  out  the  names 
of  millions  from  the  book  of  life  ;  I,  even  I,  that  have 
chained  down  millions  in  the  depths  of  outer  darkness  ; 
I,  even  I,  who  might  have  doomed  you  to  everlasting 
destruction  ;  I  am  He  that  blotteth  out  your  transgres- 
sions ! "  Oh,  the  power,  and  oh,  the  love  of  God  I 
I  am  not  damned,  though  I  deserve  to  be  ;  but  through 
a  storm  of  sin  and  sorrow,  I  am  upborne  by  wings  in- 
visible, and  carried  towards  yonder  glory  !  What  shall 
I  say  ?  0  God  !  Thy  power  and  Thy  love  exceed  all  my 
broadest  wants,  and  highest  thoughts,  and  deepest 
wonders  !     They  are  like  Thyself — unsearchable. 

Think  again.  What  hand  is  it  that  blots  out  thy 
transgressions?  What  hand  but  the  spotless  hand  of 
justice  !  If  this  is  the  hand  that  of  old  wrote  the 
solemn  words,  "Sin  shall   not  go   unpunished,"  and 


346  SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN. 

"The  wages  of  sin  is  death,"  how  can  it  now  blot  out 
sin,  and  cancel  its  punishment,  without  deeply  and 
indelibly  staining  itself  with  untruthfulness  and  in- 
justice? Yet  behold,  now  that  it  hath  blotted  out 
innumerable  transgressions  it  is  as  pure  and  spotless  as 
ever !  How  can  this  be  ?  How  can  God  be  just,  and 
yet  the  justifier  of  the  unjust?  How?  Why,  by  offer- 
ing up  the  just  for  the  unjust !  And  this  is  what  the 
just  God  has  done — He  "  has  made  Him  to  be  sin  for 
us,  who  knew  no  sin,  that  we  might  be  made  the 
righteousness  of  God  in  Him/'  A  man  was  needed: 
Christ  became  man.  A  man  under  the  law  was  needed: 
Christ  came  in  the  line  of  the  fallen,  and  wore  the  like- 
ness of  sinful  flesh.  A  man  under  the  law,  yet  without 
sin,  was  needed  :  Christ  was  born  pure  into  the  world, 
being  conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  went  pure  out 
of  the  world,  having  fulfilled  the  righteousness  of  the 
law.  A  man  under  the  law,  without  sin,  yet  willing  to 
die  for  sin,  was  needed :  Christ,  in  obedience  to  God, 
and  love  to  man,  laid  down  His  own  life.  A  man 
under  the  law,  without  sin,  yet  willing  to  die  for  sin, 
and  able  to  make  atonement  for  sin,  was  needed :  Christ 
was  the  God-man  ;  His  blood  was  of  infinite  precious- 
ness,  He  poured  it  out  upon  the  earth,  its  cry  reached 
heaven  ;  the  God  of  Justice  heard,  sheathed  His  flaming 
sword  of  deadly  vengeance,  blotted  out  our  sins  from 
His  book  of  remembrance,  opened  the  gates  of  life  ever- 
lasting to  all  believers,  and  smiled  in  the  triumph  of 
His  love,  and  was  glorified.  There  is  no  stain  upon 
God's  hand.     He  gave  the  sacrifice  before  ever  He  for- 


SIN  FOEGIVEN  AKD  FOEGOTTEN.  347 

gave  the  offence.     If  He  has  pardoned  ns,  it  has  been 
through  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  "  slain  from  the  founda- 
tion <rf  the  world/'     Oh,  I  glory  in  the  truth  that  it  is 
the  just  God  who  justifies  the  unjust  when  they  become 
believers  !    Hear  Him  proclaim  it—"  I,  even  I,  am  He 
that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions."    As  if  He  gloried 
in  it !     *  I,  even  I,  who  will  by  no  means  suffer  sin  to 
go  unpunished ;  I,  even  I,  who  am  of  purer  eyes  than 
to  behold  iniquity ;  I,  even  I,  the  thrice  holy  God ;  I 
am  He  that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions !"     Is  not 
this  strong  consolation?     Behold,  0  believer  in  Jesus, 
« It  is  Christ  that  died !"  and  "  It  is  God  that  justifieth!" 
and  upon  these  two  mighty  facts,  as  upon  two  everlast- 
ing arms  stretched  out  beneath  you,  you  may  rest  for 

eternity. 

Think  again.    What  hand  is  this  that  blots  out  your 
transgressions?      What   hand   but    the   hand   of  the 
supreme  Being  !     Is  not  this  the  hand  that  made  the 
world  and  man— that  stretched  abroad  the  heaven,  and 
lit  it  up  with  stars— that  upholds  this  great  chamber  of 
wonders,  and  governs  all  things  in  it?     Is  not  this  the 
hand  that  created  countless  angels,  and  built  the  ever- 
lasting city  ?     Is  not  this  the  hand  that  has  written  the 
laws  of  Sinai,  and  the   scrolls  of  prophecy,  and  the 
pages  of  revelation,  and  the  book  of  life  ?     Is  not  this 
the  hand  that  holds  the  iron  rod  of  wrath,  and  the 
golden  sceptre  of  mercy,  and  the  keys  of  heaven  and  of 
hell  ?     What  saith  the  Lord  God  Almighty  ?     "  I,  even 
I  am  He  that  blotteth  out  your  transgressions."     He 
points  us  to   Himself?      "I,   even   I,   the   almighty 


S-i8  SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN. 

Creator ;  I,  even  I,  the  everlasting  Sovereign ;  I,  even 
I,  the  Infinite  Supreme ;  I  am  He  that  blotteth  out  thy 
transgressions!"  0  Christian!  is  not  this  enough? 
Who  can  now  condemn  you?  You  have  been  placed 
before  the  bar  of  God ;  God  has  pronounced  your 
pardon.  From  God's  decision  there  is  no  appeal.  You 
stand,  in  the  highest  court  of  the  great  universe, 
acquitted!  And  now  who  is  he  that  condemneth ? 
Who  shall  dare  to  "lay  anything  to  the  charge  of 
God's  elect  ? "  Lo  !  not  a  sin  remains  against  thee,  for 
"  as  far  as  the  east  is  from  the  west,  so  far  God  hath 
removed  our  transgressions  from  us."  Lo !  not  an 
accuser  can  rise  against  thee  ;  for  it  is  Christ  that 
takes  thy  room,  and  answers  for  thee,  and  it  is  God 
that  justifies  and  perfects,  and  accepts  thee  in  the 
Beloved ! 

Think  once  more.  What  hand  is  it  that  blots  out 
your  transgressions  ?  What  hand  but  the  hand  of  the 
unchanging  God  !  Is  not  this  the  hand  of  Him  who 
says — "  I  am  the  Lord,  I  change  not,  therefore  ye  sons 
of  Jacob  are  not  consumed  ? "  While  this  lower  light 
that  shines  round  about  upon  mankind,  shews  an  ever- 
shifting  scene  of  sins  and  follies,  that  higher  light 
which  shines  upon  the  invisible  God,  shews  no  darkness 
of  variableness,  or  shadow  of  turning.  The  outstretched 
hand  of  God  does  cast  upon  some  the  shadow  of  its 
protection  ;  upon  some,  the  shadow  of  its  wrath  ;  and 
upon  some,  the  shadow  of  its  glory :  but  it  casts 
upon  none  the  shadow  of  its  change.  The  hand  of  God 
never  yet  cancelled  a  law  it  wrote.     It  was  never  yet 


SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN.  349 

hindered  by  an  opposition  it  met.  It  never  yet  went  a 
hairbreadth  beyond  its  own  purpose.  It  never  yet 
injured  or  marred  its  own  work.  It  never  yet  went 
backward  to  undo  what  it  had  clone.  It  never  yet 
stood  still  to  rest  from  its  labour.  Prom  man's  birth 
to  man's  death  he  passes  through  more  changes  than 
the  moments  of  his  life  for  multitude.  From  everlast- 
ing to  everlasting,  God  is  the  same.  And  now,  0  thou 
changeful  child  of  man,  look  up,  with  tears  of  penitence, 
and  behold  the  hand  of  the  Immutable  laid  upon  His 
bosom,  and  hear  Him  say  to  thee — "  I  even  I,  who  am 
to-day  the  same  I  ever  have  been ;  I,  even  I,  who  am 
to-day  the  same  I  ever  shall  be ;  I,  even  I,  who  cannot 
change  ;  I  am  He  that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions ! " 
0  pardoned  sinner,  though  the  mountains  depart,  and 
the  everlasting  hills  be  removed,  His  loving-kindness 
shall  abide,  and  His  tender  mercies  shall  continue. 
While  thou  livest,  never  will  He  re-write  thy  sins  in 
His  book  of  remembrance.  While  He  endures,  never 
will  He  break,  or  change,  or  forget  His  sacred  covenant. 
Come,  then,  0  Christian,  cast  away  thy  doubts,  and 
fears,  and  terrors.  Thy  sins  are  all  forgiven  for  ever  ! 
Behold,  here  is  the  word  of  thy  forgiveness — "  I,  even 
I,  the  God  who  has  recorded  thy  transgressions,  am 
He  that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions !  I,  even  I, 
the  offended  God,  am  He  that  blotteth  out  thy  trans- 
gressions !  I,  even  I,  the  rejected  God,  am  He  that 
blotteth  out  thy  transgressions  I  I,  even  I,  the  avenging 
God,  am  He  that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions.  I, 
even  I,  the  just  God,  am  He  that  blotteth  out  thy 


350  SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FOKGOTTEN. 

transgressions !  I,  even  I,  the  supreme  God,  am  He 
that  blotteth.  out  thy  transgressions  !  I,  even  I,  the 
unchanging  God,  am  He  that  blotteth  out  thy  trans- 
gressions !"  Here,  in  the  midst  of  this  dark  time- 
scene  of  shifting  shadows,  sweeping  storms,  and  surging 
floods,  thou  mayest  rest  upon  a  great  rock  of  eternity ! 
Behold,  it  is  cleft  deep  to  make  a  place  for  thy  shelter ! 
Behold,  "  the  eternal  God  is  thy  refuge,  and  underneath 
are  the  everlasting  arms!"  Thou  art  hidden  in  the 
great  "I  am"  for  ever! 

III.  The  next  great  truth  taught  us  by  the  text  is 
this,  that  free  grace  blots  out  our  transgressions  for 
God's  sake. 

"  I,  even  I,"  saith  the  Lord,  "  am  He  that  blotteth 
out  thy  transgressions,  for  ?nine  own  sake."  Now 
turn  with  me  to  the  thirty-sixth  chapter  of  Ezekiel, 
and  you  will  there  find  the  same  truth.  In  the  twenty- 
first  verse  you  read — "  But  I  had  pity  for  mine  holy 
name,  which  the  house  of  Israel  had  profaned  among 
the  heathen,  whither  they  went.  Therefore  say  unto 
the  house  of  Israel,  Thus  saith  the  Lord  God,  I  do  not 
this  for  your  sakes,  0  house  of  Israel,  but  for  mine 
holy  names  sake,  which  ye  have  profaned  among  the 
heathen,  whither  ye  went."  And  again,  in  the  thirty- 
second  verse — "  Not  for  your  sakes  do  I  this,  saith  the 
Lord  God,  be  it  known  unto  you  :"  the  Lord  adds,  ■■  be 
ashamed  and  confounded  for  your  own  ways,  0  house 
of  Israel."  Do  you  know  what  the  Lord  had  just  pro- 
mised to  do  for  Israel?  Bead  the  chapter,  and  you 
will  see  that  it  was  this :  to  sprinkle  clean  water  upon 


SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN.  35 1 

them,  and  make  them  clean  ;  to  give  them  a  new  heart, 
and  put  within  them  a  new  spirit  ;  to  take  away  their 
stony  heart,  and  give  them  a  heart  of  flesh  ;  to  put  His 
own  Spirit  within  them,  and  cause  them  to  walk  in  His 
statutes  ;  to  make  them  His  people,  and  to  be  Himself 
their  God;  to  save  them  from  uncleanness,  and  to 
multiply  their  possessions ;  to  make  them  remember 
their  ways,  and  loathe  themselves  for  their  iniquities ; 
to  build  again  their  ruined  cities,  and  make  their  land 
like  the  garden  of  Eden  ;  and  to  increase  them  in 
number  like  a  flock,  and  make  all  men  know  that  He  is 
the  Lord !  It  is  when  promising  this  that  He  says — 
"  Not  for  your  sakes  do  I  this,  0  house  of  Israel,  but 
for  mine  holy  name's  sake/' 

I  believe  many  of  you  have  never  seen  this  truth. 
You  think  that  God's  only  motive  for  saving  sinners  is 
His  pity  for  them.  You  forget  that  He  saves  them  for 
His  own  glory.  May  1  ask  you  to  follow  me  for  a  few 
moments  while  I  dwell  upon  the  words,  "  for  mine  own 
sake  ? " 

Is  it  not  true,  that  everything  God  does  is  for  His 
glory  ?  Is  it  not  true,  that  "  of  Him,  and  through  Him, 
and  to  Him,  are  all  things?"  That  "of  Him,"  as  the 
great  cause  ;  "  through  Him,"  as  the  great  worker ; 
and  "  to  Him,"  as  the  great  end,  are  all  things?  If 
so,  as  sure  as  salvation  is  "  of  Him,"  salvation  is  "  to 
Him  ;"  as  sure  as  salvation  is  the  work  of  God,  salva- 
tion is  to  the  glory  of  God.  Now,  if  you  remember, 
that  in  order  to  glorify  Himself,  God  has  only  to  reveal 
Himself ;  and  that  the  more  God  reveals  of  Himself, 


852  SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN. 

the  more  He  glorifies  Himself ;  and  that  God  has  re- 
vealed to  us,  if  not  to  all,  more  of  Himself  in  this  work 
of  salvation  through  Christ  than  He  ever  revealed  be- 
fore ;  you  will  see  clearly  that  this  work  may  bring 
more  glory  to  God  than  many  of  His  other  works ; 
perhaps  than  most  of  His  other  works  ;  it  may  be  than 
all  of  His  other  works  put  together ;  and  you  will 
understand  clearly  why  God  says,  "I,  even  I,  am  He 
that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions  for  mine  own  sake." 
For  a  moment  or  two  think  how  this  work  glorifies  God 
by  revealing  what  He  is. 

Is  it  for  the  glory  of  God  to  manifest  His  infinite 
wisdom  ?  Then  behold  how,  in  this  work  of  salvation, 
God  has  revealed  that  wisdom  in  its  brightness.  Be- 
hold His  wisdom  in  its  everlasting  counsels ;  His  wis- 
dom in  its  successful  workings ;  His  wisdom  in  its 
wondrous  prophecies — prophecies  uttered  in  succession 
through  a  period  of  forty  centuries,  from  the  prophecies 
of  God  himself  in  the  garden  of  Eden,  to  those  of  the 
prophet  who  walked  with  God  and  was  not,  and  those 
of  the  prophet  of  the  burning  Sinai,  and  those  of  the 
prophet  of  the  fiery  chariot,  and  on  through  a  multi- 
tude of  others  to  those  of  the  King  of  Prophets,  and 
those  of  His  follower,  the  prophet  of  the  Apocalypse ; 
and  His  wisdom  in  the  mysterious  nature,  and  holy 
birth,  and  sacred  history,  and  heavenly  teachings,  and 
above  all,  in  the  atoning  death  of  Him  who  is  declared 
to  be  pre-eminently  "the  wisdom  of  God"  in  the  work 
of  our  salvation ! 

Is  it  for  the  glory  of  God  to  manifest  His  infinite 


SIN  FOEGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN.       353 

justice?  Then  behold  how,  in  the  salvation  of  the 
Church,  God  has  revealed  that  justice  in  its  inflexible 
severity  !  Behold  His  justice  shining  in  the  eternal 
plan  of  salvation  by  sacrifice,  in  the  Lamb  slain  from 
the  foundation  of  the  world — shining  in  the  long  suc- 
cession of  typical  sacrifices,  reaching  from  that  upon 
the  altar  of  Abel,  through  a  thousand  others,  to  those 
of  the  great  Temple  of  Types — and  shining  in  the 
solemn  glory  of  the  cross  of  Emmanuel ! 

Is  it  for  the  glory  of  God  to  manifest  His  infinite 
power?  Then  behold  how,  in  the  salvation  of  the 
Church,  God  has  revealed  that  power  in  its  naked  om- 
nipotence !  Behold  His  power  in  a  host  of  wondrous 
acts,  reaching  from  the  fearful  miracles  of  Egypt  to 
the  merciful  deeds  of  the  great  Miracle-Worker,  and 
those  of  His  chosen  followers ;  behold  His  power  in 
the  pardoning  of  sins,  the  healing  of  diseases,  the  de- 
stroying the  works  of  the  devil,  the  regeneration  of  the 
corrupt,  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  the  restoration  of 
immortality,  and  the  everlasting  reign  of  righteousness ! 

Is  it  for  the  glory  of  God  to  manifest  His  infinite 
love  ?  Then  behold  how,  in  the  salvation  of  the  Church, 
God  has  revealed  that  love  in  its  immeasurable  great- 
ness !  Behold  that  love  in  His  compassion  for  the 
perishing,  in  His  forbearance  towards  the  rebellious,  in 
His  forgiveness  of  the  repenting,  and  in  His  kindness 
to  the  believing.  Behold  it  in  His  unspeakable  gift  of 
Christ;  behold  it  in  Christ's  unspeakable  gift  of  Him- 
self ;  behold  it  in  the  words  and  in  the  works  of  Jesus 
■ — in  every  sermon,  in  every  prayer,  in  every  labour,  in 

z 


354  SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN. 

every  tear,  in  every  trial,  and  above  all,  in  His  suffer- 
ings and  death  upon  the  cross ;  behold  it  in  all  the 
commands,  and  in  all  the  warnings,  and  in  all  the  invi- 
tations, and  in  all  the  promises  contained  in  the  Bible ; 
and  behold  it  in  Christ's  ceaseless  intercessions,  in  the 
final  salvation  of  the  saints,  and  in  their  everlasting 
rest  with  Jesus ! 

Thus  has  God  glorified  Himself  by  saving  sinners ; 
thus  has  God  revealed  more  of  Himself  than  ever  to 
His  intelligent  creatures.  They  never  knew  so  much  of 
His  wisdom,  of  His  power,  of  His  justice,  and  of  His 
love,  as  they  know  now.  For  His  own  sake  God  has 
saved  His  people ;  for  His  own  sake,  that  He  might 
unveil  His  burning  eye,  and  uncover  His  naked  arm, 
and  unsheathe  His  glittering  sword,  and  unbosom  His 
bleeding  heart,  before  all  heaven,  earth,  and  hell !  For 
His  own  sake  God  has  saved  His  people :  for  His  own 
sake,  that  He  might  swell  the  mighty  sound  of  His 
praises,  by  adding  to  the  innumerable  harps  and  voices  of 
angels,  the  countless  harps  and  voices  of  saints,  until  the 
tide  of  holy  melody  sounds  and  surges  before  the  throne, 
like  the  voices  of  many  waters,  and  mighty  thunderings, 
and  the  waves  of  the  sea !  For  His  own  sake  God 
has  saved  His  people  :  for  His  own  sake,  that  He  might 
fill  the  hearts  of  men,  as  well  as  the  hearts  of  angels, 
with  everlasting  love  to  Himself — that  He  might  add 
to  the  gratitude  of  sinless  angels,  the  stronger  gratitude 
of  sin-forgiven  men ;  and  thus  gather  round  Himself 
more  of  the  sweetness  of  unfading  gratitude,  and  more 
of  the  fragrance  of  undying  affection ! 


BIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN.  355 

You  speak  of  the  glory  of  God  which  you  behold  at 
midnight,  shining  in  that  long  white  way  of  stars  which 
stretches  across  the  entire  heavens  ;  behold  in  this  work 
of  salvation  the  glory  of  God  stretching  in  one  unbroken 
line,  from  everlasting  to  everlasting !  Look  back 
through  the  dim  valley  of  earth's  history  to  its  very  be- 
ginning, and  beyond  as  far  as  your  eye  can  reach  up  the 
interminable  vista  of  the  past,  and  you  shall  behold  the 
glory  of  its  old  decrees  and  everlasting  counsels  shining 
there !  Follow  with  your  eye  its  course  across  the 
boundary  of  time,  and  you  shall  behold  its  line  of  light 
widening  into  a  pathway  of  glory,  and  stretching  from 
the  dark  fall  of  the  first  Adam,  to  the  bright  ascen- 
sion of  the  second,  and  upward  to  the  great  city 
of  God,  and  onward  through  far  distant  ages,  until 
lost  to  view  in  the  interminable  light  of  the  future  ! 

You  speak  of  the  glory  of  God  which  you  behold  at 
mid-day,  shining  in  our  central  sun ;  behold  in  this 
work  of  salvation  the  bright  centre  of  all  created  glory  ! 
Just  as  the  stars  of  heaven  form  one  great  system,  con- 
taining many  systems,  and  moving  round  one  central 
system  ;  so  all  the  works  of  God,  visible  and  invisible, 
form  one  great  system,  containing  many  systems,  and 
moving  round  one  central  system.  Now,  what  is  the 
universal  centre  ?  I  answer,  "  The  man  Christ  Jesus  !" 
As  God  the  Infinite  Spirit  is  the  invisible  circumfer- 
ence of  the  universal  system  of  creation,  so  God  mani- 
fest in  the  flesh  is  the  visible  centre  of  the  universal 
system  of  creation.  Now,  here  is  the  glory  of  the  work 
— it  is  placed  nearest  the  universal  centre.     It  is  a 


356  SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN. 

system  in  which  every  saint  is  a  star,  and  God  mani- 
fest in  the  flesh  is  the  central  sim  !  It  is  a  system 
hung  in  the  very  centre  of  all  created  glory ! 

In  placing  it  there — in  creating  that  central  sun,  and 
arranging  round  it  these  revolving  planets — in  mould- 
ing sinless  humanity  into  a  bright  imperishable  shrine, 
and  putting  into  it  the  image  of  His  Divinity,  and 
placing  the  shrine  of  our  humanity  containing  the  image 
of  His  Divinity  in  the  midst  of  the  universe,  as  its 
central  sun — and  in  moulding  regenerated  humanity 
into  innumerable  shrines,  and  putting  into  them  mirrors 
to  reflect  the  image  of  His  Divinity,  and  in  arranging 
these  shrines  of  our  humanity,  with  their  mirrors  re- 
flecting the  image  of  His  Divinity,  around  this  central 
sun,  as  its  revolving  planets — in  placing  the  "  man 
Christ  Jesus  "  upon  creation's  throne,  and  the  sin-for- 
given upon  that  throne  around  Him  ; — in  doing  this, 
God  has  triumphed  over  sin,  and  darkness,  and  death, 
and  hell — has  turned  sinners  to  saints,  darkness  to 
light,  death  to  life,  and  hell  to  heaven — has  destroyed 
the  evil  works  wrought  by  Satan,  and  restored  the 
good  works  marred  by  Satan,  and  put  Satan  to  con- 
fusion, and  flight,  and  torment — has  calmed  the  raging 
storm  of  rebellion,  righted  the  uneven  balance  of  obe- 
dience, renewed  the  freshness  of  early  innocence,  and 
restored  the  stillness  of  unbroken  peace,  the  brightness 
of  unfading  light,  and  the  holiness  of  undying  love  ;  and 
has  unveiled  and  glorified  Hi mself  for  ever  and  ever ! 
"  I,  even  I,  am  He  that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions 
for  mine  own  sake,  and  will  not  remember  thy  sins ! " 


SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN.  357 

Before  I  leave  this  part  of  the  subject  I  would  say, 
let  none  of  you  think  that  God's  only  reason  for  saving 
sinners,  is  His  desire  to  deliver  them  from  suffering  the 
pains  of  hell,  and  to  bring  them  to  enjoy  the  pleasures 
of  heaven.  He  has  a  reason  higher  than  that.  He 
saves  them  for  His  "  own  sake."  And  on  the  other 
hand,  let  none  of  you  think,  that  God's  only  reason  for 
saving  sinners  is  His  desire  to  glorify  Himself.  He 
has  a  reason  beyond  that.  He  "  so  loved  the  world, 
that  He  gave  His  only-begotten  Son,  that  whosoever 
believeth  in  Him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlast- 
ing life."  The  bright  and  blessed  angel  of  salvation 
does  not  stand  with  its  back  to  God  and  its  face  to 
man,  as  some  imagine  ;  nor  with  its  face  to  God  and  its 
back  to  man,  as  others  imagine  ;  but  rather  with  its 
hands  stretched  out  to  man  on  earth,  and  its  face 
lifted  up  to  God  in  heaven  ! 

I  would  say  still  further,  let  none  of  you  think  that 
God  will  have  mercy  upon  you  because  your  sins  are 
few ;  or  that  you  are  too  bad  to  be  saved  because  your 
sins  are  many.  Kemember  that  God  saves  sinners  for 
His  "  own  sake."  If  your  sins  are  few,  boast  not ;  for 
if  He  forgives  them,  He  forgives  them  for  His  "  own 
sake."  If  your  sins  are  many,  despair  not ;  for  this 
cannot  prevent  His  forgiving  them,  seeing  that  He  for- 
gives sinners  for  His  "  own  sake." 

I  would  say  still  further,  let  no  Christian  keep  at  a 
distance  from  God,  on  account  of  having  fallen  into  sin. 
If  God  forgave  you  first  for  His  own  glory,  it  will  be 
for  His  glory  to  forgive  you  again.     As  God  knows 


358  SIN  FORGIYEN  AND  FORGOTTEN. 

your  sin  already,  the  sooner  you  confess  it  to  Him  the 
better  ;  and  as  God  has  promised  to  pardon  your  sin7 
the  sooner  you  have  it  forgiven  the  better.  So  come  to 
Him  at  once,  and  plead  His  promise — "  I,  even  I,  am 
He  that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions  for  mine  own 
sake,  and  will  not  remember  thy  sins." 

IV.  I  now  come  to  the  last  part  of  my  subject.  Free 
grace  blots  out  our  transgressions,  not  only  from  God's 
book,  with  God's  hand,  and  for  God's  sake,  but  also  from 
God's  memory.  Instead  of  this  truth  being  last  and 
least  in  the  text,  it  seems  to  me  to  be  last  and  greatest. 
"  I,  even  I,  am  He  that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions 
for  mine  own  sake,  and  will  not  remember  thy  sins." 
Oh !  is  not  the  last  note  in  this  heavenly  strain  the 
sweetest,  and  the  longest,  and  the  most  lingering — "  I 
will  not  remember  thy  sins  ? "  What !  and  will  God 
forget  our  sins  ?  Is  God  like  man  to  forget  ?  Surely  if 
angels  never  forget,  and  even  men  in  a  future  state, 
when  their  minds  are  cleared  from  the  mists  of  mor- 
tality, find  themselves  unable  to  forget  anything  they 
have  ever  known,  how  can  God  forget?  To  say  that 
God  forgets  !  Why,  if  this  be  true,  does  it  not  argue  the 
imperfection  of  His  mind,  and  His  unfitness  to  judge 
the  world  ?  Ah  !  dear  brethren,  He  who  foreknows  all 
that  is  future,  forgets  nothing  that  is  past.  But  when 
He  says,  "  I  will  not  remember  thy  sins/'  He  gives  us 
a  heavenly  truth  in  an  earthly  dress.  He  does  not  pre- 
sume upon  our  ignorance  to  deceive  us,  but  stoops  to 
our  ignorance  to  comfort  us.  In  order  that  we  may 
know  His  thoughts,  He  is  obliged  to  dress  them  in  our 


SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN.  359 

language.  Do  not  dwell  then  upon  the  earthly  language, 
but  search  beneath  it  for  the  heavenly  meaning.  Now, 
what  meaning  do  these  words  contain — "  and  will  not 
remember  thy  sins?"  It  seems  to  me  that  the  Lord, 
knowing  our  wants,  and  doubts,  and  sorrows,  down  to 
their  lowest  depths,  and  perceiving  that  though  we  may 
have  the  assurance  of  His  forgiving  our  sins,  the 
thought  of  His  remembering  them  will  make  us  unhappy 
and  keep  us  away  from  Him,  utters  these  words  to  sup- 
ply our  want,  and  dispel  our  doubt,  and  remove  our 
sorrow,  and  to  bring  us  the  rest  and  the  joy  of  perfect 
and  everlasting  reconciliation  through  the  blood  of 
Christ — "I  will  not  remember  thy  sins."  He  knows 
we  sometimes  think,  that  though  He  has  forgiven  our 
sins,  and  delivered  us  from  their  punishment,  He  does 
not  feel  towards  us  the  strong  love  He  would  have  felt 
had  we  never  sinned ;  so  He  tells  us  that  He  will  feel 
towards  us,  and  act  towards  us,  as  if  He  forgot  all  about 
our  sins — as  if  they  had  never  been !  Oh,  think  one 
moment  of  what  this  implies — "  I  will  not  remember 
thy  sins  ! "  Once  your  sins  were  a  grief  to  you — were 
they  not?  When  you  were  first  brought  to  feel  them, 
did  they  not  become  an  intolerable  load?  But  when 
God  forgave  them,  and  you  forgot  them — when  your 
burden  fell  from  the  foot  of  Christ's  cross,  into  the  bot- 
tom of  Christ's  sepulchre,  and  you  saw  it  no  more — 
then  did  they  not  cease  to  be  a  grief  to  you  ? — were  not 
your  sorrows  and  your  sins  buried  together  ?  So  your 
sins,  which  were  once  a  grief  to  God — and  oh,  what 
bitter  tears  they  have  drawn  from  the  eyes  of  Jesus  I— 


360  SIN  FOEGIVEN  AND  FOEGOTTEN. 

are  now  no  more  a  grief  to  Him,  than  if  they  had  never 
been.  And  if  you  could  look  in  Christ's  face  this  day, 
you  would  behold,  instead  of  the  shadow  of  grief,  the 
light  of  gladness  there ;  for  lo !  He  remembers  them 
no  more. 

Think  again.  Can  you  be  angry  with  a  person  for 
their  unkind  treatment  of  you,  after  you  have  forgotten 
all  about  it?  As  surely  as  you  cannot,  so  surely  the 
anger  of  the  Lord,  which  was  once  kindled  against  you, 
has  passed  away ;  for  He  remembers  your  sins  no  more ! 

Think  again.  Do  you  speak  of  what  you  have  for- 
gotten ?  As  surely  as  you  do  not,  so  surely  the  Lord 
speaks  not  of  your  past  sins  now,  and  will  not  publish 
them  to  the  world  in  the  day  of  judgment,  or  mention 
them  in  heaven,  but  will  be  for  ever  silent  about  them  ; 
for  He  remembers  them  no  more  ! 

Think  again.  Do  you  punish  your  child  for  its 
offences  which  you  have  forgotten  ?  As  surely  as  you 
do  not,  so  surely  the  Lord  will  never  punish  you  in  the 
future  for  your  transgressions  of  the  past ;  so  that  when 
the  Lord  sends  you  afflictions,  He  does  not  send  them 
as  punishment  upon  a  rebel,  and  as  curses  on  account 
of  sin,  but  as  marks  of  love,  and  as  blessings  upon  a 
child.  The  sinner's  punishment  is  heavy,  and  long,  and 
worketh  death  eternal ;  whereas  your  chastisement  is 
light,  and  momentary,  and  worketh  glory  everlasting. 
For  you  there  is  no  hell,  neither  any  judgment ;  for  the 
Lord  of  both  has  said,  "  I  will  not  remember  thy  sins  I" 

Oh !  when  I  think  of  these  things — when  I  realise, 
even  in  my  small  measure,  the  truth  of  this  saying  of 


SIX  FORGIVEN  AND  FOEGOTTEN.       361 

God,  "I,  even  I,  am  He  that  blotteth  out  thy  trans- 
gressions for  mine  own  sake,  and  will  not  remember  thy 
sins,"  I  am  overwhelmed  by  it — I  cannot  tell  what  I 
feci.  Oh,  it  is  wonderful !  Who  can  utter  the  full 
meaning  of  the  words,  "  I,  even  I,  am  He  that  blotteth 
out  thy  transgressions  ? "  Who  can  tell  the  enormity 
and  blackness  of  the  sins  thus  forgiven  ?  Who  can  tell 
the  fulness  and  freeness  of  this  forgiveness  ?  Who  can 
tell  the  torments  from  which  this  delivers  the  soul  ? 
Who  can  tell  all  that  is  contained  in  the  words.  "I, 
even  I? "  Who,  even  beholding  Christ's  face  in  the  day 
of  judgment,  can  know  all  its  meaning?  Who,  even 
seeing  Him  amid  the  saints  in  glory,  can  know  all  its 
meaning?  Who  can  know  all  of  God?  Who  can  tell 
all  that  is  in  the  words,  "For  mine  own  sake  \ "  Who 
can  tell  what  a  gloriously  embellished  page  our  sal- 
vation makes  in  the  great  history  of  God's  doings? 
Who  can  tell  what  a  golden  link  it  is  in  the  chain  of 
His  everlasting  purposes  ?  Who  can  tell  what  a  broad 
foundation  it  forms,  upon  which  He  shall  build  future 
glory?  Who  can  tell  what  a  golden-edged  mirror  it 
will  prove  to  reflect  His  image  for  ever  ?  Who  can  tell 
the  full  meaning  of  the  words,  "  And  will  not  remember 
thy  sins  ?  *  Oh  !  who  can  expound  this  thought  of 
God's  heart?  Oh,  this  part  of  the  promise!  What 
shall  I  say?  Which  part  shall  I  wonder  at  the  most? 
I  know  it  is  all  bound  up  in  one ;  but  oh,  the  last 
words — "And  will  not  remember  thy  sins,"  I  could 
dwell  upon  them  for  ever !  Oh,  the  completeness  of 
this  salvation !     Does  not  this  thought  lift  you  up,  and 


3022  SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN. 

carry  you  away  with  admiration?  Oh,  its  complete- 
ness !  Not  a  stain  of  sin — not  a  shadow  of  evil — not 
a  trace  of  sorrow  left  behind  !  All  gone  like  a  passing 
cloud !  A  thick  cloud  may  come  across  the  clear 
heavens,  and  cast  its  black  shadow  on  the  world,  and 
shut  out  the  light  of  day,  and  pour  down  hail  and  fire, 
and  defy  the  power  of  man  to  remove  it ;  but  let  the 
sun  only  shine  on  it,  with  all  its  fervour,  and  it  shall 
soon  swallow  up  its  rain  and  hail  with  heat,  and 
swallow  up  its  blackness  and  shadow  with  light,  and 
leave  the  heavens  as  clear  and  calm  and  lovely  as  the}7 
were  before.  Behold,  your  sin  is  that  black  cloud;  and 
God's  grace  is  the  sunshine  that  blots  it  out  and 
swallows  it  up.  "  I  have  blotted  out  as  a  thick  cloud 
thy  transgressions,  and  as  a  cloud  thy  sins,"  saith  the 
Lord;  "and  will  not  remember  thy  sins!"  Oh,  the 
completeness  of  this  salvation  !  A  few  years  hence 
where  shall  be  the  record  of  our  sins?  In  God's  book? 
Nay;  for  He  says,  "I,  even  I,  am  He  that  blotteth  out 
thy  transgressions  V*  Within  the  reach  of  man?  Nay; 
for  He  says,  "  As  far  as  the  east  is  from  the  west,  so 
far  hath  He  removed  our  transgressions  from  us ! " 
Upon  the  face  of  the  earth?  Nay;  for  He  says  He 
will  "  cast  them  into  the  depths  of  the  sea ! "  In  the 
secret  light  of  His  countenance?  Nay;  for  He  says, 
He  will  "cast  them  behind  His  back.''  Among  His 
memories  of  the  past?  Nay;  for  He  says,  "I  will  not 
remember  thy  sins!"  Oh,  the  completeness  of  this 
salvation  !  As  a  stone  sinketh  in  the  mighty  deep,  and 
leaveth  not  even  a  ripple  to  shew  where  it  went  down ; 


SIN  FORGIVEN  AND  FORGOTTEN.  363 

so  shall  sink  the  burden  of  our  guilt  into  bottomless 
oblivion,  and  not  a  sigh  or  tear  be  left  behind  to  tell 
the  forgotten  tale  of  its  existence  !  Oh,  it  is  an 
unutterable  salvation  !  Were  it  not  that  all  tears  are 
wiped  away  from  their  faces,  the  saints  before  th9 
throne  might  sit  down  and  cry  for  joy  and  gratiti 
But  as  they  cannot  weep,  they  sing — "  Unto  Him  that 
loved  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  His  own 
blood,  and  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God 
and  His  Father ;  to  Him  be  glory  and  dominion  for 
ever  and  ever!" 

I  can  say  no  more.     Eternity  shall  reveal  the  rest. 


THE  END. 


530  Broadway,  November,  1859. 

ROBERT  CARTER  4  BROTHERS 

LIST    OF    NEW    WORKS. 


rpHE  HART  AND  THE  WATER  BROOKS; 

A  practical  exposition  of  the  Forty-Second  Psalm,  by  the  Rev. 
J.  R.  Macduff,  D.D.,  author  of  "Morning  and  Night  Watches," 
"Words  of  Jesus,"  &c    I6ma 60 

JiHE  PRECIOUS  THINGS  OF  GOD;  by  tb* 

Rev.  Octavius  Winslow,  D.D 

rpHE    MISSING    LINK;    or   Bible    Women  in 

the  Homes  of  the  London  Poor;  by  the  author  of  "The 
Book  and  its  Story."     12mo.  "z5 

rpHE   DIVINE  HUMAN   IN   THE  SCRIP- 

tures ;  by  Prof.  Tayler  Lewis.     12mo 

OERMONS;  by  the  Rev.  H.  Stratton  Guinness,  the 

celebrated  London  preacher l  00 

rpHE    THREE     WAKINGS,    AND     OTHER 

1     Poems ;  by  the  author  of  "  Voice  of  Christian  Life  in  Song."      60 

TTUMAN  SOCIETY;  its  Structure,  Offices  and 
•^  Relations,  as  manifesting  the  Power,  Wisdom  and  Good- 
ness of  God;  eight  Lectures  by  F.  D.  Huntington,  of  Harvard 
College,  Cambridge,  Mass.     8vo. l     5 

TECTURES  ON  THESSALONIANS ;  by 
-^     John  Lillie,  D.D.     8vo.     (Preparing.)      .... 

PAUL  THE  PREACHER;  by  John  Eadie,  D.D. 
12mo \         ...         125 

rpHE  SEASONS;  by  James  Thomson;  illustrated 
1  by  Birket  Foster  and  others.  On  fine  tinted  paper.  Elegant 
embossed  cloth.     4  50.      Morocco  Antiquo.  .         .         '    A    6  °° 


NEW    PUBLICATIONS. 


ANNALS    OF  THE  AMERICAN  PULPIT; 

Vol.  6.— Baptists;  by  Wm.  B.  Sprague,  D.D.  (For  those 
■wishing-  this  volume  by  itself  it  can  be  had  lettered,  Annals  of  the 
American  Baptist  Pulpit.) .        .    3  00 

"The  great  work,  of  Dr.  Sprague,  which  will  lie  a  memorial  of  bis  inde- 
fatigable industry  in  collecting  materials,  and  his  skill  and  sound  judgment 
in  arranging  and  employing  them,  has  now  reached  the  sixth  volume.  This 
is  devoted  to  the  Baptist  denomination.  The  first  two  volumes  comprised 
the  Trinitarian  Congregationalists;  the  third  and  fourth,  the  Presbyte- 
rians ;  the  fifth,  the  Episcopalians.  The  work  will  proceed  with  the  remain- 
ing denominations,  and  when  completed,  will  furnish  an  American  eccle- 
siastical biography  from  the  earliest  settlement,  and  through  the  wide 
extent  of  the  United  States.  From  a  continued  and  extensive  correspond- 
ence with  persons  of  the  highest  standing  and  intelligence,  and  from  other 
sources  of  information  of  the  best  authority,  he  has  been  enabled  to  give 
not  only  well-rilled  details  of  the  lives  and  labors  of  the  subjects,  but  inter- 
esting sketches  of  traits  of  character,  etc.  The  volumes  before  published 
have  received,  not  only  from  religious  papers  and  periodicals,  but  also  from 
the  secular  and  literary,  the  general  and  strong  tribute  of  commendation. 
Those  in  the  respective  churches  treated  in  the  successive  volumes,  most 
conversant  with  their  ecclesiastical  history,  testify  to  the  accuracy,  impar- 
tiality, and  discrimination,  with  which  his  biographies  have  been  com- 
posed."— Christian  Intelligencer. 

rpHE  CAPTIVE  ORPHAN;   ESTHER,  THE 

Queen  of  Persia;  by  Stephen  H.  Tyng,  DD.     12mo.      .       1  00 

"They  illustrate  with  great  felicity,  eloquence  and  success,  the  wonder- 
ful ways  of  Divine  Providence,  drawing  lessons  of  the  happiest  application 
from  this  interesting  and  remarkable  portion  of  sacred  histoiy." — Observer. 

"The  remarkable  history  of  Esther,  so  full  of  romantic  incident  and 
great  events,  has  been  chosen  by  the  author  as  affording  a  rich  theme  for 
the  illustration  of  the  Divine  Providence.  It  is  a  subject  every  way  well 
suited  to  the  author's  taste  and  style,  and  he,  of  course,  constructs  from  it 
a  most  pleasing  and  instructive  volume." — Presbyterian. 

JlfEMOIR   OF  MRS.  MARY  WIN  SLOW;  by 

her  Son,  Octavius  Winslow,  D.D.     12mo.    .         .         .         1  00 

**We  have  been  much  delighted  in  reading  this  most  interesting  Memoir 
of  a  most  interesting  lady.  Beginning  life  as  the  gay  and  thoughtless  bride 
of  a  British  officer,  she  became  an  unusually  devout  and  useful  Christian, 
and  by  her  personal  intercourse  and  her  correspondence  exerted  a  blessed 
intluence  upon  many  hearts.  She  died  in  1954,  in  her  eightieth  year.  This 
Memoir  will  be  especially  interesting  to  mothers,  for  Mrs.  "Winslow  was 
a  model  mother.  But  thore  is  in  it  much  to  quicken  the  faith  and  love 
of  all  the  people  of  God.  We  hope  it  may  have  a  wide  circulation." — 
Presbyterian. 

"Mrs.  TVinslow's  life  was  remarkable  for  its  Bpirftnality,  and  for  the 
elevated  character  of  her  religious  experiences,  and  we  think  the  perusal  of 
this  volume — largely  made  up  of  materials  furnished  by  her  own  pen — can- 
not help  aiding  God's  people  to  grow  in  grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  and 
love  of  Christ." — Con  gregu  t  ion  a  li"t. 

B 


NEW    PUBLICATIONS. 


JN  EXPOSITION  OF  THE  SECOND  EPIS- 

tle  to  the  Corinthians;  by  Oharlea  Hodge,  D.D.         ,        l  00 

14  Few  t&en  In  our  country  possess  equal  qualifications  for  giving  to  tho 
public  a  good  commentary  on  any  portion  of  the  Bible  with  Dr.  Ho 

He  is  well  known  as  a  ripe  scholar,  as  an  able  teieher,  and  Indefatigable 
Student  of  Biblical  literature,  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  latest  and 
best  results  of  criticism  abroad,  while  at  the  Bane  time  his  stylo  is  plain, 
simple  and  energetic  To  this  work  be  has  brought  his  critical  ability,  and 
also  a  due  regard  to  the  class  of  persons  fir  whom  his  commentary  is  in- 
tended. With  a  sprinkling  here  and  there  of  ('.reck  words,  that  may  aid 
the  scholar,  yet  his  remarks  are  written,  and  bis  references  to  other  texts 
so  made  that  it  may  be  used  by  any  one  unacquainted  with  tho  original 
language.11 — Xational  Era. 

JjJXPOSITORY  THOUGHTS  OX  THE  GOS- 

pels ;  by  the  Rev.  J.  C.  Ryle. 

Luke,  2  vols.  (Now  complete.)        .        .        .         2  00 

Mark,  1  vol 1  00 

Matthew,  1  vol 1  00 

"The  Eev.  J.  C.  Ryle  is  one  of  the  most  earnest,  evangelical  and  sptrlt- 
ual-minded  of  modern  writers.  His  sermons  and  tracts  have  been  circulated 
by  hundreds  of  thousands,  and  have  been  the  instruments  of  much  good. 
His  style  is  simple  and  terse;  his  ideas  and  illustrations  fresh  and  glowing. 
You  feel  that,  while  he  is  addressing  you,  his  heart  glows  within  him,  and 
his  eye  is  wet  with  tears  of  benevolent  anxiety  for  the  good  of  souls. 

"Mr.  Kyle's  ' Explanatory  Notes'  deal  with  difficulties  and  obscurities 
in  a  very  satisfactory  manner — not  the  less  so  that  they  are  always  con- 
cise. This  is,  in  short,  a  book  which  can  be  safely  placed  in  the  hands  of 
young  or  old,  saint  or  sinner.  Its  perusal  will  increase  your  know', 
and  heighten  your  admiration  of  tho  wisdom  of  God  exhibited  in  His  holy 
Book.1  —  Witness. 

MEMOIRS  OF  JAMES   WILSON,  ESQ.;  by 

James  Hamilton,  D.D.     12mo 1  00 

"James  Hamilton,  D.D.,  is  the  congenial  biographor  of  his  friend,  and 
possesses  a  lively  Scotch  humor,  strongly  In  sympathy  with  his  subject. 

"  James  "Wilson  was  a  Naturalist,  and  the  writer  of  numerous  treatises 
anil  papers  relating  to  his  favorite  studies,  among  which  his  contributions 
to  the  Encyclopedia  Britanqica  and  Blackwood,  are  perhaps  best  known. 
Everything  he  wrote  was  marked  by  liveliness,  good  humor,  and  wit;  in- 
deed, his  conversation  was  often  of  the  most  sparkling  character,  so  that 
one  who  knew  him  well,  said  of  him  that  lhe  was  the  prince  of  punsters.1 
He  was  an  ardent  and  successful  angler,  and  his  accounts  "f  his  exploit-  in 
the  mountain  streams  and  lochs  of  his  native  land,  an-  as  appetizing  as  his 
style  is  attractive.  With  tantalizing  particularity  ho  narrates  the  capture 
of  scores  of  glorious  trout,  until  every  angler's  lingers  tingle.— But  James 
"Wilson  was  something  better  than  a  humorist  or  angler.  He  was  a  Chris* 
tian  and  a  gentleman.  Courtesy  and  love  marked  his  life.  His  religion  was 
not  a  profession,  it  was  a  practical  scriptural  heart  work;  and  in  bereave- 
ment and  trial  he  was  found  as  humble  and  tender  of  spirit  as  in  the  days 
of  joy  he  was  lively  and  elate." — Chronicle. 

o 


NEW    PUBLICATION! 


JjONAR,    ON   THE  PSALMS ;    Christ  and  his 

Church  in  the  Book  of  Psalms  ;  by  the  Rev.  Andrew  A. 
Bonar 

"Dr.  Bonar,  presents  afresh,  and  with  peculiar  felicity,  a  subject  that 
never  tires.  In  eflch  Psalm  he  finds  something  not  only  of  past,  but  of 
present  service  to  the  church  of  Christ.  The  Notes  are  by  no  means  simply 
of  an  expository  or  exegetica!  character.  They  are  rather  designed  for 
practical  and  devotional  use.  They  are  pervaded  by  an  evangelical  spirit, 
and  manifest  that  quick  discernment  of  the  beauties  of  inspired  thought  and 
language,  which  we  might  expect  from  the  distinguished  author.  Indeed, 
the  poet,  the  scholar,  and  the  Christian,  are  happily  blended  in  this  unique 
commentary.  Herder's  Spirit  of  Hebrew  Poetry  does  not  more  clearly  ex- 
hibit the  lyric  elegance  and  glowing  pictures  of  the  Psalmist,  and  Bishop 
Home  is  not  more  fervent  or  devout  in  his  comments  on  the  sacred  text.'1 — 
Evangelist. 

gROOK   FARM.— The   Amusing  and   Memorable 

in  American  Country  Life.     16mo.  .         .         .         .60 

""v7e  have  received,  from  a  gentleman  of  cultivated  taste,  the  following 
spontaneous  review  of  this  little  work  :  '  Brook  Farm'  is  a  real  gem  of  a 
book.  In  style,  and  in  many  of  its  incidents,  it  is  scarcely  below  '  Tom 
Brown's  School  Days.1  That  the  narratives  are  truthful,  as  the  preface  de- 
clares, is  equally  declared  and  enforced  by  the  narratives  themselves.  They 
are  beautiful,  too— real  nature — but  yet  nature  depicted  by  an  experienced 
and  skilful  hand.  It  would  be  vain  to  select  the  best  pieces  where  all  are 
so  good — but  if  I  might — and  there  is  no  doubt  a  choice,  I  would  say :  'Tho 
Orchard,'  '  The  Wolf,'  '  Pleasant  Sundays,'  '  The  Shanty  Fight,'  'Fourth  of 
July,'  '  Indian  Corn,'  'Thanksgiving  Day,' and  last,  but  not  least,  'Ama- 
teur Marketing,'  pleased  me  most.  The  last-mentioned  would  stand  beside 
Goldsmith's  '  Moses  and  his  Spectacles.' " 

J1HE  RA  CE  AND   THE  PRIZE;  by  the  author 

of  the  "  Memoir  of  Captain  Vicars."     18mo.     Paper.        .  6 

"  A  pathetic,  earnest  and  pointed  address  to  the  impenitent,  and  coun- 
sels and  directions  to  the  convert." — Christian  Era. 


rpiIE    DANCE   AND    THE    DANCING- 

School ;  by  John  T.  Brooke,  D.D.     18mo.      ...         30 

"This  very  excellent  little  volume  will  be  welcomed  by  many  of  our 
ministers  as  a  very  valuable  aid  in  the  pastoral  work.  For  this  purpose  we 
cordially  commend  it  in  view  both  of  its  boldness  and.  its  truthfulness." — 
Episcox>alian  Recorder. 

JjECTURES    ON   THE    APOCALYPSE;    by 

the  Rev.  C.  M.  Butler,  D.D.  "Washington,  D.  C.  (Preparing.) 


NEW    PUBLICATIONS 


QUR  CHRISTIAN  CLASSICS;  Readings  from 

the  best  divines,  with  Noticea  Biographical  and  Critical;  by 
James  Hamilton,  D.D.,  author  of  "Life  in  Earnest,"  &c.  1  vote. 
12mo i  00 

"  Four  duodecimo  volumes  of  extraordinary  merit  and  value.  The 
learned  and  accomplished  London  pastor,  Dr.  Hamilton,  has  prepared  a 
selection  from  the  best  Christian  writers  in  the  English  language,  arranged 
in  chronological  order,  illustrated  and  enriched  with  copious  notes,  and 

adapted  to  the  felt  wants  of  thousands  of  families,  who  may  not  have  the 
authors  of  England  on  their  shelves.  The  merit  of  such  a  work  must  de- 
pend on  the  taste  of  the  compiler.  Here  it  is  perfect  in  its  kind.  Dr.  IT. 
discerns  the  beautiful  and  true  with  a  practiced  eye,  and  gathers  the  good 
into  his  treasury  and  throws  the  poor  away,  lie  has  thus  prepared  a  set  of 
books  that  will  be  standard  volumes  in  every  family  that  possesses  them,  to 
be  read  and  re-read  in  successive  years.1' — New  York,  Observer. 


rpiIE    KNOWLEDGE     OF    GOD,   subjectively 

considered,  being  the  Second  Part  of  Theology,  considered 
as  a  science  of  practical  truth,  by  Robert  J.  Breckinridge,  D.D. 
Svo 2  50 

"This  is  the  second  volume  of  Dr.  E.  J.  Breckinridge's  work  on  Posi- 
tive Theology.  It  takes  up  the  special  subjects  of  tho  Christian  Revelation, 
and,  in  several  divisions  of  great  importance  and  distinctness,  discusses 

them  with  great  accuracy  and  power.  These  two  volumes  will  perpetuate 
their  author's  name  as  a  writer  ami  thinker  of  gnat  power  upon  those 
vastly  important  themes  whfch  are  included  in  man's  study  and  knowledge 
of  his  God."— Protectant  Churchman. 


-KTOTES  CRITICAL  AND  EXPLANATORY 

on  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles ;  by  M.  "W.  Jacobus,  D.D.  12mo.  1  00 

"This  is  the  fourth  volume  of  Dr.  Jacobus  on  the  New  Testament.  His 
Notes  on  the  Gospels  have  obtained  a  wide  circulation,  and  won  for  their 
author  such  a  reputation  as  a  sound,  judicious  and  competent  commentator, 
as  will  secure  to  the  present  volume  a  ready  passport  to  public  favor. 
Whilst  they  are  eminently  adapted  to  tho  use  of  families  and  Individuals  of 
all  classes,  we  know  of  no  commentary  so  well  adapted  to  the  use  of  S:d>- 
bath  School  teachers  and  scholars,  as  these  Notes  of  Dr.  Jacobus.  Tho 
present  volume  is  not  inferior  to  any  of  its  prcdec<  saors.  It  is  embellished 
with  a  map,  elegantly  engraved  on  stone,  and  other  well  executed  pictorial 
illustrations."— Presbyterian. 


rpiIE    UNITY  OF  MANKIND  ;  being  a  sum- 
mary  of  the  conclusions  announced  by  the  highest  authori- 
ties in  favor  of  tho  specific  unity  and  common  origin  of  all  the 
varieties  of  man  ;  by  Prof.  J.  L.  Cabell 100 


NEW  JUVENILE  BOOKS 


j^ILIE  RANDOLPH,  OR  THE  GOOD  PART. 

With  4  illustrations.     16mo 75 

•This  book  gives  an  attractive  portraiture  of  early  and  consistent  piety, 
and  shows,  by  contrast  with  other  characters  which  appear  in  this  story, 
how  truly  it  is  the  good  part." — Christian  Witness. 

JIHE  LITTLE  LYCHETTS,    AND    OTHER 

Stories.     With  8  illustrations.    16 mo 75 

"This  volume  shows  how  intense  maybe  a  sister's  love  for  a  brother. 
Little  Eunice,  the.  orphan,  is  almost  a  brother  to  her  sickly  brother,  Bion, 
and  her  care  of  him  is  amply  repaid.  It  is  a  well  written  book,  and  leaves 
a  good  impression  on  the  heart." — Central  Christian  Herald. 

J^OUND   THE  FIRE;    a    Series  of  Stories,  with 

6  illustrations.     16mo. 75 

"Six  stories  by  the  different  members  of  the  fireside  circle.  Each  goes 
over  his  varied  and  often  strange  experience,  in  England  and  in  foreign 
lands;  and  others  besides  the  members  of  the  circle  will  listen  with  deep 
interest  to  these  travellers''  tales,  simply,  but  instructively  and  pleasingly 
told.v — Evangelist. 

By  the  same  author : 

NCLE  JACK  THE  FAULT  KILLER.     4  il- 
lustrations.    18mo. 30 


U 


"  This  is  a  story  of  four  children  who  had  severally  the  faults  of  violent 
temper,  carelessness,  indolence  and  meddlesomeness,  and  whose  faults  were 
cured  by  the  ingenious  devices  of  an  uncle,  who  practically  travestied  the 
story  of  Jack  the  Giant-Killer,  by  killing  the  faults  of  the  children."— 
Central  Presbyterian. 

JJNICA,    a  Story  for  Girls.     18mo.     2  illustrat.         25 
JjITTLE     WILLIE.     2  illustrations.     18mo.      .       30 

"It  follows  little  Willie  through  the  scenes  familiar  to  the  home  of 
childhood,  exhibiting  '•boy-nature"  in  life-like  features,  and  bringing  into 
view  the  Influences  by  which  it  may  be  controlled  and  made  happy.  The 
children  will  ft.'  d  it  rich  with  pleasant  ]ussi)n$."—Eca?igelist. 

XyiLLIE  AND    UNICA;  in  1  vol.     18ino.      .     50 


NEW    JUVENILE    BOOKS 


JIHE    COTTAGE    AND    ITS    VISITOR;    by 

the  author  of  "  Ministerial  Children,"  &c.  lG;no.    6  fine  ill.     GO 


w 


'ARFARE  AND  WORK,  OR  LIFE'S  PROG- 

ress;  by  the  author  of ''Passing  Clouds."     18mo.  .         50 


"A  beautiful  and  timely  book.  It  may  be  read  frith  great  profit  by  all 
those  who  feel  that  life  is  a  serious  business,  and  who  desire  stimulus  and 
help  in  the  great  work  to  which  they  are  called." — Observer. 


JIHE    PILGRIM'S      PROGRESS;     by    John 

Bunyan.    Quarto,  large  type.    Illustrated  with  Ttmnttj  large 
plates,  from  designs  by  Thomas.     .     .     Fancy  cov.  1  00.     Cloth  1  25. 

"From  these  bold  pictnrrs  the  young  reader  will  get  a  most  vivid  idea 
of  the  scenes  in  the  journey  to  the  Celestial  City,  and  they  will  linger  in 
the  memory  to  come  np  perhaps  in  hours  of  doubt,  temptation,  or  despoml- 
ency,  and  will  prove  a  blessing  beyond  all  price.  No  religious  book  is 
usually  so  fascinating  to  children  as  the  dream  of  Bunyan,  and  we  advise 
all  our  readers,  who  are  about  to  buy  books  fojr  their  little  folks,  to  inquire 
for  this.  We  think  that  after  examining  it,  they  will  decide  that  it  is  the 
best."— Central  Clwivtian  Herald. 


MRS.  ALFRED  CATTY'S  BOOKS  : 
JTIIE  CIRCLE  OF  BLESSING.       ...       30 
1J0TES  IN  THE  SUNBEAM.  ...    30 


P 

p 


ARABLES  FROM  NATURE.       ...  30 

ORLDS  NOT  REALIZED 30 

RO VERBS  ILLUSTRATED.        ...  30 

ALICE  AND  ADOLPIIUS 50 

J^UNT  JUDY'S  TALES 50 

"  Mrs.  Gatty  has  a  fancy  as  delicate  as  any  of  the  purest  German  writers, 
and  writes  under  the  inspiration  of  Christian  faith  and  love.  We  cm  cheer 
fully  say  of  these  volumes,  with  the  Literary  Chtcclnnan,  that  they  'stand 
alone  in  the  sweetness  of  their  stories,  the  truth  of  their  moral,  and  the 
simple  beauty  <>f  their  language.1  Their  perusal  will  benefit  parents,  gladden 
the  fireside,  and  improve  the  heads  and  hearts  nf  the  children." — StXiW.tr. 


NEW    JUVENILE    BOOKS. 


R 


ILLS  FROM  THE  FOUNTAIN  OF  LIFE; 

by  the  Rev.  Richard  Newton,  D.D.    8  illustrations.    12mo.     75 

"Dr.  Newton  has  a  great  deal  of  that  rare  and  enviable  talent  by  which 
children  may  be  interested  and  instructed.  The  little  sermons  composing 
this  volume  were  preached  to  the  children  of  his  congregation,  and  we  can 
readily  conceive  that  they  interested  very  greatly  the  little  ones.  They 
are  simple,  striking,  and  full  of  incident,  such  as  children  love  to  hear,  and 
have  a  number  of  pretty  pictures,  illustrating  some  incident  of  the  dis- 
course."- -Central  Presbyterian. 

rpHE    BEST    THINGS ;    by  the  Rev.  Richard 

Newton,  D.D.     16mo.     6  illustrations.  .        .        .         75 

"  As  a  writer  or  preacher  for  the  young,  Dr.  Newton,  author  of  this 
volume,  has  acquired  an  enviable  and  useful  reputation.  Those  who  are  in 
search  of  volumes  that  may  be  profitable  and  acceptably  placed  before 
young  readers,  need  no  better  reference  than  his  name." 

JlfAGDALA    AND    BETHANY;   by  the  Rev. 

S.  C.  Malan.     ISmo 40 

J7ATE  AND  EFFIE,  OR  PREVARICATION 

With  3  illustrations 50 

JfHE    FIRST    AND    LAST  JOURNEY ;    a 

Story  for  the  Young,  with  6  illustrations.     18mo.    .         .         40 

JPANNY   THE    FLOWER    GIRL;     by    Selina 

Bunbury.     18mo. 30 

Jj£INISTERING    CHILDREN.      With  Twenty 

elegant  engravings.      .         .         .         .         .         .  1  00 

QLD   FRIENDS    WITH   NEW  FACES;    by 

A.  L.  0.  E.     18mo 30 

rVHE  MINE,  OR  DARKNESS  AND  LIGHT; 

by  A.  L.  0.  E.     ISmo.  40 

TJDDIE    ELLERSLIE    AND     THE    MINE; 

comprising  the  above  two  in  one  vol 50 

pRECEPTS  IN  PRACTICE;  by  A.  L.  O.  E. 

18mo.     Illustrated 50 

"  Another  of  the  admirable  works  of  an  author  who  has  gained  already 
D  high  popularity  in  our  country.  Perhaps  this  is  the  best  of  the  books  she 
lias  written,  all  of  which  arc  eminently  fitted  to  please  and  to  profit  all 
classes  of  readers,  old  and  young.  The  books  already  form  a  beautiful  littlo 
library  by  themselves.-1— Observer. 


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